The Hindu : Musharraf appeals to clergy to eliminate terrorism

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 19, 2004

International

International

Musharraf appeals to clergy to eliminate terrorism

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, FEB. 18. As India and Pakistan agreed on a road map for composite dialogue, the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, made a passionate appeal to the clergy in the country to eliminate the scourge of terrorism and extremism.

Addressing a government-sponsored Ulama and Mashaikh Convention here, Gen. Musharraf focussed on the theme of measures needed to be undertaken by Pakistan remove "four dangerous perceptions" prevailing about the country in the world community. These are terrorism and sectarianism, nuclear proliferation, terrorist activities in Afghanistan and Kashmir.

Dressed in his commando uniform Gen. Musharraf repeatedly raised his voice to warn of the dangers the country faced if the perceptions were not corrected. Pakistan could suffer economically. There could be U.N. sanctions and immense problems for overseas Pakistanis.

He launched a diatribe against religious parties and individuals preaching jehad (holy war) and said that only the state had the right to declare jehad. "What kind of a country is ours where any one incites people to take to arms in the name of jehad. This is not jehad," he said amid thumping of desks. Pleased with the response he repeatedly said "thank you, thank you."

In the context of the ongoing operations by Pakistan on the Afghanistan border to hunt the remnants of the Al-Qaeda and the Taliban he said foreigners had no place on the soil of Pakistan. He asked them to leave the country or surrender and pledged not to allow them to carry out their activities against any other country. "No foreigner should stay in Pakistan illegally," Gen. Musharraf said adding that most of the foreigners arrested or killed in operation in tribal areas bordering Afghanistan belonged to Uzbekistan.

"Pakistan will have to demonstrate to the world that it is a responsible nuclear state and it has not and will not indulge in proliferation. The strategy adopted by the Government to deal with the issue of proliferation best suited the interests of the country," Gen. Musharraf said. Pakistan would not only preserve its nuclear and missile capability but also develop it further.

"We will demonstrate this in two months," he said referring to his previous announcement that Pakistan would test-fire its long-range Shaheen-II missile that could hit targets at 2000 km range.

The President asked Governors and Chief Ministers to convene similar conventions in provincial headquarters to carry forward the movement to eliminate extremism and forge national unity and harmony.

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