12 February 2002

President Musharraf Shares Vision for Pakistan During U.S. Visit

Washington -- President Pervez Musharraf told a gathering of American scholars and foreign affairs specialists February 12 that his "vision" for Pakistan is that of a "liberal, tolerant, progressive, dynamic, and strong Islamic state" rather than a "theocracy" whose democratic institutions are bound by religious orthodoxy.

Musharraf, who came to power two years ago after a military coup, was on a three-day official visit to Washington during which he met with President George Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell. He told a meeting sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace that "Pakistan is a moderate Islamic society."

He added, "When I say 'Islamic,' I certainly do not imply a theocratic state. Theocracy has no place in governance in Islam." Rather, he said, "I imply when I say 'an Islamic state' full rights to the minority in the country."

The president said, "If you look around the Muslim world ... everywhere there is a strong religious" political undercurrent. "Now, look at Pakistan. Never in the history of Pakistan has any religious party won more than 5 percent of the vote. And in the last elections of the local governments ... religious parties and groups did not even get 2 percent of the votes."

Musharraf added: "Pakistanis are religious, certainly, but they are not extremists. And the proof of this is that in response to my call on the 3rd of January where I took a number of measures against religious extremism, my action was welcomed by the masses at large."

The president said he divides Pakistani society into the following three categories:

• religious extremists -- this is "a small minority" that gets involved "in spreading intolerance and terrorism around"; -- liberal moderates, who are on the opposite end of the political spectrum, live in metropolitan areas like Karachi, and are also not "accepted by the vast majority of Pakistanis"; and -- moderates, who make up "the center course majority" of the nation's voters.

Therefore, said Musharraf, "moderate, religious Muslims, not extremists," dominate politics in Pakistan.

In introducing Musharraf, the head of the Wilson Center, former House International Relations Committee Chairman Lee Hamilton, said, "Today as America seeks to fight terrorism in central and south Asia and across the globe, the U.S.-Pakistan relationship is one of its most important bilateral relationships."

The politician turned scholar added: "Pakistan has been enormously helpful in the international campaign against terrorists. Under President Musharraf, Pakistan has ended its support of the Taliban, granted the United States access to its air space and intelligence, arrested many members of al Qaeda attempting to flee Afghanistan, and cracked down on extremist groups in Pakistan and Kashmir."

Hamilton continued, "The American people and government are tremendously grateful to President Musharraf and the Pakistani government for Pakistan's critical support" for the war on international terrorism.

Musharraf noted that the new Pakistan-U.S. relationship opened up challenges as well as opportunities for his country to help develop a flagging economy. A chief aim of his government, therefore, is "to focus on a well-conceived national development strategy" before his "vision of Pakistan" can be realized, he said.

On the social level, the president said it is also necessary "to create a ripe, conducive internal environment" in which democracy and the economy can flourish. This means, he explained, "we need to curb religious fanaticism, extremism, sectarian violence on one side, and, secondly, we need to make sure -- tell all political groups and parties -- that international issues concerning everyone or concerning Muslim issues around the world" must be discussed in a peaceful, non-confrontational manner.

In other words, he said, "The writ [authority] of the government has to be established and the supremacy of law and order needs to be established."

In order to implement his vision of a new and improved Pakistan, Musharraf said, "we have already take a number of actions" to curb religious extremism, such as banning a number of religious organizations and political parties; undertaking to reform the Madrasas (religious schools), and issuing instructions for controlling the misuse of mosques and activities other than religious activities.

The president said, "All of these actions have been welcomed by the general [Pakistani] public" and will provide a firm foundation for the sustainability of development programs meant to alleviatepoverty "among the lowest levels of the poor."