Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has corrected an 'error' he made in the English version of his autobiography In the Line of Fire that the CIA has paid millions of dollars for capturing and handing over a number of Al Qaeda militants.
The correction was made in the Urdu version of the book Sub Sey Pehlay Pakistan, (Pakistan First) released two days ago.
The correction has been made in the opening paragraph of chapter 23, titled Taaqub (Manhunt) that highlights the role Pakistan played in capturing al-Qaeda suspects after the 9/11 attacks on the US.
In the English version of the book, Musharraf wrote that Pakistan had captured 689 Al Qaeda members and handed over 369 of them to the US - 'We have earned bounties totalling millions of dollars. Those who habitually accuse us of 'not doing enough' in the war on terror should simply ask the CIA how much prize money it has paid to the government of Pakistan'.
In the Urdu edition, the reference to having 'earned bounties totalling millions of dollars' and prize money has been dropped, the Dawn newspaper reported on Monday.
Within two days of his book launch in New York, President Musharraf had admitted to having made a 'mistake' and indicated that an amendment was in order.
Musharraf has been saying in recent interviews that the money has been paid to the individuals.
"That is my error. It doesn't come to the government of Pakistan. I should not have written that and I'm going to amend it in the future copy certainly," he said.
Musharraf also said most of the money received was in Pakistan and not outside - "The money is certainly in Pakistan's exchequer, in other words in Pakistan, its not anywhere."
In his interview to Geo TV telecast on Sunday, Musharraf also acknowledged another mistake.
When the interviewer, while referring to the claims made in his book that he learned to make a 'time bomb' when he was in college, asked whether he would advise the youngsters to do so, Musharraf said he made only a 'cracker' and not a bomb.
After the interviewer read out the relevant portions from his book, Musharraf said his claim of having made a 'time bomb' was a mistake and he made only a cracker.
The Urdu version published by Ferozsons is a hard-bound edition containing 411 pages and priced at Rs 495. Initially 20,000 copies have been published.
It is believed that Sehba Musharraf and the President's former deputy military secretary and relative Brigadier Asim Saleem Bajwa, who now commands the 111 Brigade, played an active role in the publication of the Urdu edition.
Apparently, it was on their advice that Musharraf changed the title of the book, which according to him, made more sense in the Pakistan context.
Musharraf has repeatedly appreciated the 'hard work and loyalty' of Brigadier Bajwa, the man without whom he says his book would not have been possible.
While expressing his gratitude to Bajwa again at the book launch on Saturday, Musharraf said, "He (Bajwa) has just been promoted."
However, he hastened to add, "But that's not because of the book."
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