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Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said there is some level of opposition to his crackdown on extremist groups, but asserted his resolve to eliminate extremism at any cost.
"I want to eliminate this extremism at any cost and with an iron hand. There are people who don't agree with what I am doing. I tread on many people's toes, especially when I take action against extremists," he said in an interview to German newspaper Die Welt.
Asked whether the crackdown had put his life in danger, he said: "I have never hidden, I lead quite a normal life, I go jogging, do sports. I believe in fate. I have already looked death into the eye several times... I don't worry."
About religious extremists in Pakistan, he said: "We had religious extremists, but they were a minority. None of the religious parties had ever got more than five per cent vote. Pakistan is an Islamic republic, the majority is religious but not fanatical."
Referring to the Daniel Pearl murder case, he said, "All the involved persons are behind bars. If there is different information in the West, this is simply wrong."
On why he opted for a referendum, Musharraf said: "I think that if somebody goes to the people and asks them for their opinion, that is the highest form of democracy." He added that the referendum was not about a bid for power.
On the allegations of the referendum being rigged, Musharraf said: "Let me be honest: I'm not even saying that there were no irregularities. But why are only those on my side being talked about?"
Asked to compare his referendum with that of General Zia ul-Haq's, Musharraf said, "There are many differences. First of all, at that time there were no political problems, thus no necessity for a referendum. Today massive reforms are on the way, which have absolute precedence over everything else and which must not be interrupted."
He said former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto, who were in exile, were trying to influence the atmosphere in Pakistan. "They invest a lot of money in a targeted slandering campaign."
On the likely return of Benazir, he said, "She didn't leave because of me. She ran away because she was facing prosecution for corruption. If she comes, she will be taken to court, and justice will take its course."
"And if she really comes it is not clear whether she is actually qualified to be a candidate. We want educated people in power. And her level of education is unclear to date."
When asked if the international community would be convinced by his controversial referendum, he said: "For me, it is much more important that a true democracy will come into being in Pakistan. The world has to let itself be convinced by my words, because I have never lied."
He said there would be free and fair election in October and then "we would have the true essence of democracy in Pakistan. In order to make this possible, the referendum was necessary. Not for my personal megalomania".
On his proposed checks and balances between president, prime minister and the head of the army, Musharraf said: "We want to institutionalise a method to deal with such problems. Therefore, we have come up with the idea of a National Security Council. But we have not decided about the precise composition."
He also said a constitutional role for the army in the future set-up was being considered. He said the army had always played an important role in Pakistan's politics.
"So why should we be so shy and not institutionalise this reconciling role?" he asked.
"We are considering constitutional role for the army, and we are not ashamed of it. We are very realistic -- I believe in realism, not in idealism, which leads to nothing," he said.
He said the biggest success of his regime was the economic "rebirth of Pakistan".
"We are not out of the woods yet, but it is getting better," he said.
PTI
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