I did not do anything wrong: Musharraf

[Naveed Yaseen]

* Former president says his lectures abroad aimed at removeing misconception about ISI, army
* LG system good for country

Daily Times Monitor

LAHORE: Former president Pervez Musharraf said none of his past actions were wrong and had been taken in the supreme interests of the nation.

In an interview with a private TV channel, Musharraf said he would appear before the country’s courts in whatever case he was asked to and expected justice from the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

He said the reference against the Supreme Court chief justice was correct. Musharraf said he had not left the country and was only abroad currently because he was on a lecture tour, which he said would help build the country’s image abroad.

Lectures: The former president said his lectures were aimed at removing the misconceptions about the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the country’s military among the international community.

Musharraf said he would visit the country when he felt necessary, adding that he did not fear returning home. The former president said he was popular abroad but no less popular in Pakistan. Musharraf said he had been gifted more than 50 bulletproof vehicles by various heads of states during his rule but he handed over all such assets to the government when he quit office.

To questions about his apartment in London, Musharraf said it was an ordinary housing facility and his son and a friend had pooled money to purchase the apartment.

Responding to another question regarding electricity theft at his Chak Shehzad farmhouse, he said he had been paying the bills according to official rates and would continue to do so. Musharraf said power projects for adding around 2,000 megawatts of electricity to the system were initiated by his government and the current energy crisis and load shedding would be eliminated if the government utilised those projects to the maximum.

Local governments: The former president said the local government system was beneficial for the country and regretted the government’s action against the system.

Speaking about the Lal Mosque operation, Musharraf said the extremists had challenged the writ of the state and were dictating terms to the government in the guise of dialogue. He said he had consulted Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain before ordering the operation. Musharraf said the assassination of Benazir Bhutto was one of the factors behind PML-Q’s defeat in the 2008 elections.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...2009_pg7_5