'Musharraf decided to become US ally only after 'detailed discussion' in Pakistan'

Islamabad, Sept 10(ANI): Pakistan's decision to side with the United States in the war on terror following the 9/11 terrorist attacks was not taken on a single call from former US Secretary of State Colin Powell, Lieutenant General (retired) Hamid Javed, who served as Chief of Staff (COS) to former military ruler Pervez Musharraf for six years, has said.

"The decision to become a US ally was taken after detailed discussion between President Pervez Musharraf and his cabinet, National Security Council, GHQ, the chief justice, politicians, corps commanders, religious scholars, intellectuals and representatives of other sections of society," The News quoted General Javed, as saying in an exclusive interview on the tenth anniversary of 9/11.

"This exercise was undertaken after grave dangers had emerged for our nuclear assets, and security agencies had sent reports to President Musharraf that if we failed to side with US, it could create dangers for our nuclear assets in collusion with India. Not only that, the Kashmir cause too could suffer loss," he added.

General Javed said that it was only after extensive exchange of views and keeping the security of national institutions in focus that Pakistan arrived at a memorandum of understanding with the US.

He also said that whosoever were in power, would have taken the same decision as taken by Musharraf at that time.

There had been an understanding between Pakistan and the US for joining the war on terror, he said, adding that after 9/11, the US had sent a non-paper consisting of six pages, in which it had asked for vast intelligence and military support with a view to making Pakistan an ally.

The Pakistan government had decided that its forces would not take part in any action in Afghanistan, but that its armed forces would take action against any fugitive militants from Afghanistan within Pakistan's national boundary. Furthermore, no foreign army would be allowed to operate in Pakistan.

"We are following the same policy to this day," General Javed said.

He also disclosed that the US had demanded air bases of Risalpur, Peshawar, and Mianwali, and that after a meeting with the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), it was decided the US would be allowed to use only one non-operational base of Jacobabad and the airstrip of Shamsi (Dalbandeen).

General Javed further said that in the memorandum to become an ally of the US, Pakistan had included the clause that the Indian Army would be a part of the Afghanistan operation and that America would support the Kashmir cause. (ANI)