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Rediff.com  » News » Do not back Musharraf: Benazir tells US

Do not back Musharraf: Benazir tells US

Source: PTI
June 19, 2003 21:21 IST
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Pakistan's former prime minister Benazir Bhutto has asked the United States to review its relationship with President Pervez Musharraf as he was not able to contain the Al-Qaeda and the Taliban from re-grouping in Pakistan.

In an interview to BBC, Bhutto said under Musharraf's rule, Al-Qaeda grew and attacked the World Trade Center in US and despite the recent crackdown, both outfits regrouped in Pakistan and attacked coalition forces in Afghanistan.

Bhutto said Musharraf promised to stop Al-Qaeda fleeing into Pakistan. "They fled into Pakistan and they are still being caught."

Bhutto, in London to oppose Musharraf who is on a visit to Britain, said that Musharraf was not managing to cure Pakistan's religious extremists and the US support for him could weaken the country's political opposition.

Bhutto said the US was under the impression that by backing Musharraf it is going to save Pakistan from the rise of terrorism. "We think the opposite," she said. 

She claimed that the Pakistan government has contacted her three times in May this year, to work out a deal to support Musharraf. But nothing materialised as the government does not want her to return from exile.

"They were talking more about confidence building and the release of political prisoners to set the stage for more positive dialogue between them and us on constitutional and other issues," she said.

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