India cannot cast an evil eye on Pakistan, says Musharraf

Amid heightened tensions between the neighbours in the wake of the Mumbai attacks, former President Pervez Musharraf said India "cannot dare cast an evil eye" on Pakistan as long as the armed forces are there to defend the country.

Musharraf, who resigned in August to avoid an impeachment, threw his weight behind the government, saying the country had a democratically elected President and Prime Minister who would take steps for its security.

As long as the Pakistani armed forces are there, the country is in safe hands, Musharraf told the media at a reception in Lahore to mark the wedding of the son of former Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri.

He said the armed forces are fully capable of defending the country against India. As long as the Pakistani military is there, India can not "cast an evil eye" on the country, he said.