Musharraf says US needs dialogue for resolution of Afghan issue

Lahore, Mar 2 (ANI): A troop surge will not solve the Afghanistan issue, and the US will have to initiate dialogue to achieve peace, former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said.

During an interview with BBC Urdu, he said the international community had criticised him for negotiating with the Taliban in the Tribal Areas, but now the US would have to sign similar agreements with Afghan chieftains.

He said such accords were the only solution to extremism, even if they did not succeed completely.

Comparing the war against terror to cutting the leaves off a tree, Musharraf said no matter how many leaves the US cut, more would grow, the Daily Times reported.

The former president also criticised the previous US Administration for claiming to spend 10 billion dollars in Pakistan, but not telling the world how the aid was actually spent.

"Half of this money had already been spent by Pakistan during the war against terrorism to provide the US with facilities while the rest was spent on army and health and education sectors," he added.

Concerning the US role in reducing Indo-Pak tension, Musharraf said the dispute could be resolved forever if the US based its policy on equality and justice. (ANI)