Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf spoke to WION in which he touched upon a host of topics including PM Modi, the Kashmir dispute, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Donald Trump and Balochistan. Looking back at his loss in the 2007 elections, he blamed his party’s lack of support and Benazir Bhutto’s assassination garnering the Pakistan People’s Party sympathy votes. Speaking about Trump, he stated the United States President while controversial was starting with a clean slate and lauded his decision to mediate between India and Pakistan. However, he added that he disagreed with Trump’s travel ban.

Asked if Trump’s ascension meant that Pakistan would lose an ally (in the US) he said: “Pakistan must find its way around in this multi-polar world. We have to manage diplomatic overtures in this new world and US must see Pakistan in a new perspective.”

Speaking about 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed’s arrest he claimed he didn’t think Saeed was behind the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai and in Pakistan they didn’t call him a ‘terrorist’.

On the rise of BJP in India he stated that ‘anti-Muslim’ activity was going on. He said: “India has lost its secular credentials and become anti-Muslim.” He claimed the BJP wanted total ‘Hindu dominance’ and that UP CM Adityanath was an ‘extremist’ who believes all Muslims and Christians in India should be ‘converted’ to Hinduism.

Touching up the issue of human rights violations in Balochistan he called it an issue concocted by India who were ‘assisting separatists’. He went on to say that there were no human rights violations in Balochistan and that they were ‘anti-terrorism’ actions, similar to what he claimed India was doing in Kashmir and Assam, against Naxalites and Maoists.

Speaking about PM Modi’s attempts to resolve disputes with Pakistan he labelled them ‘cosmetic’. He said: “PM Modi’s statements are extremely offensive. Look at the statements of the Government. Their plans, actions are totally against Pakistan. They are talking of destabilising Pakistan, even an Indian general has spoken about it.”

He went on to claim that he had tried to resolve the Kashmir conflict and until the dispute was resolved, attacks like Uri wouldn’t stop. He said: “The youth are rising in Kashmir, they are rising in support of Burhan Wani. The people of Kashmir have risen against India, they don’t want to be part of India.”

When asked if the Kashmir issue would be resolved in his lifetime he said: “With the attitude of current Indian government, I don’t see it. They talk about international and regional isolation, weakening of the Pakistani Army. We have to meet the challenge.”

Watch the repeat telecast of Pervez Musharraf’s exclusive interview on WION at 8 PM on Sunday

Part 1 Part 2