Weeks ahead of the Indo-Pak summit, Pakistan's CEO General Pervez Musharraftoday launched an unusual attack on Islamic clergymen, asking them to stopmaking "irresponsible" statements against India like hoisting Pakistaniflag at the Red Fort in New Delhi which, he said, had led the outside world todub Pakistan a terrorist and failed state.
In a hard hitting extempore speech at a religious conference attended byhardcore Islamic clergymen, General Musharraf said the "tall claims"being made by some Pakistanis have not helped anybody's cause, least of all the Indianmuslims.
"Because of irresponsible statements and actions by irresponsibleleaders, Pakistan is now now being dubbed a terrorism-sponsoring country,"he said.
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This is the first time Musharraf has come out openly against the Islamicfundamentalists, sending encouraging signals to India, which has been asking Pakistanto rein in militant groups engaged in cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
Musharraf said many a visiting Indian muslim has told him that suchstatements irked them and caused difficulties for them in India.
Almost all Pakistan based militant groups freely indulged in India bashingincluding issuing rhetorical threats against the Indian leaders. Lashkar-e-Toibaon its website quoted its leader, Hafeez Mohammad Sayeed as saying that hisgroup will kill the Indian leaders in front of Red Fort.
Musharraf urged the clergy to ponder over the impact of irresponsiblestatements being made by them.
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"We are not tolerant and progressive and this is the situation we areliving in now," he said.
"We are a military and nuclear power but our economy is very weak and isnot in consonance with our military power," he added.
Musharraf also told the clergymen that when a country was weak it was wise togo along with others, otherwise it would be weakened further.
He said due to the law and order problem with in the country, there was atalk of declaring Pakistan a terrorist state, while others referred to it as afailed state.
But the notion of writing off Pakistan as a failed state was wrong as it hasacquired nuclear capability, he claimed.
As Musharraf spoke at the conference attended by over 500 ulema, heavilyarmed police and para-military personnel relentlessly patrolled streets of Islamabadand other major towns in Pakistan to prevent any sectarian clashes betweenmajority sunni and minority shia sects in connection with milad celebrations.
