Rejecting criticism that he is toeing the US line in acting against Islamist militant groups, President Pervez Musharraf has said the fight against terrorism was in the interest of Pakistan and not to please the West."No one is dictating us or pressurizing us. We are taking all action in national interest," the General in an interactive programme on PTV on Thursday night.Most of the participants in the programmed wanted to know whether Pakistan's foreign policy was influenced by the United States or the West.Musharraf that such a misunderstanding was being created by certain ‘vested’ interests. "There is no such thing.""We are not weak. We have a stature in the region, in the Ummah (Muslim world), we are a nuclear and a missile power of 160 million," he said.Asked about the US pressure ‘to do more’ to check Taliban and al-Qaeda that have taken sanctuary in its tribal areas, he said, "we are doing exactly as we please, as we think essential, anyone who says we are not doing enough, I reject it, we are doing enough and we will continue doing as we are doing it in accordance with our strategy."Musharraf said Pakistan's fight against extremism and terrorism was in its own interest and not for the West or for the United States."If we do not confront this challenge, Pakistan's future will be very dark," he said.Musharraf said Pakistan has often taken decisions at international fora that did not correspond to those of the US, as they were not in national interest.
