In direct fight with extremists: Gen

Dismissing as “baseless” charges that he sabotaged an agreement with the Lal Masjid clerics at the eleventh hour...

Dismissing as “baseless” charges that he sabotaged an agreement with the Lal Masjid clerics at the eleventh hour, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said the raid against the mosque was carried out after all options to resolve the siege failed.

“I am alleged to have sabotaged the accord with the Lal Masjid administration. This allegation is baseless,” said Musharraf at a media conference in Rawalpindi yesterday. “We waited for six months and kept on waiting for the matter to be resolved with mutual understanding, but the other side did not agree. They were demanding general amnesty and safe passage for themselves and the foreigners who were present in Lal Masjid. We could not do this,” said he.

To a question, he said the raid was conducted after all options failed. “We are not facing any external threat. Rather, we are confronting internal challenges. We have to face these challenges by forging unity in our ranks,” he stressed.

Underscoring the importance of seminaries, he said contemporary education should also be imparted in these places.

Musharraf said the media played a positive role in reporting the Masjid issue. It should continue to play its due role to eliminate terrorism.

“We are not facing any external threat. Rather we are confronting with internal challenges. We have to face these challenges with forging unity in our ranks,” he stressed.

Musharraf said the elections would be held as per schedule and transparency would be ensured. Declaring that Pakistan was engaged in an open war with militants following the Lal Masjid raid, Musharraf, however, ruled out imposition of emergency.

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“We are in direct confrontation with extremist forces. It is moderates versus extremists,” he said, adding “we have to attack the source where suicide bombers are sprouting. We have a fair idea of who is behind that…we must attack those who sponsor them.”

However, he said “there will be no emergency” despite violence and that the present situation will not derail elections to be held early next year at the latest.