Haqqanis did not exist during my reign: Musharraf
Former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf has said that the militant Haqqani network did not exist during his rule.
It is the duty of the government to convince the US and other countries that Islamabad was not involved in terror activities, he said at a press conference in Washington Wednesday.
Musharraf termed the US allegations that the Haqqani network is linked to the Pakistan Army and the spy agency the ISI as "baseless and fake", The News reported Thursday.
The Haqqani network, an ally of the Taliban and based in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border areas, was founded by Mawlawi Jalaludin Haqqani. It is now led by his son Sirajudin Haqqani. The group has been fighting against the Afghan and NATO-led forces in Afghanistan.
Musharraf said the Americans were confused and that is why they were blaming Pakistan.
Asked if talks should be initiated with Tehreek-e-Taliban, he said no, pointing out that it is a terrorist organization that slaughtered people and burnt hundreds of girls' school.
