Pak security elements having sympathy with Taliban 'must still be there': Musharraf

Washington, Jan 7(ANI): Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has acknowledged that some parts of the state security apparatus have sympathies with the Taliban or al Qaeda, and they may as well be cooperating with them.

In an interview with Foreign Policy, when asked if it was true that some parts of the state security apparatus had sympathies with the Taliban, as they did in the past, Musharraf replied: "Yes, yes, that's right. Elements who have sympathy toward Taliban or al Qaeda in the past were there. They must still be there."

"But to blame the Army or the ISI is just having a very negative impact. As I said, the Army is there doing their job; it has suffered so many casualties. If anyone thinks that [there are rogue elements] at a strategic level-at the level of the government or the Army headquarters or the ISI headquarters-that there is an instruction being given down to cooperate with the Taliban-this is absolutely baseless," he added.

The former military ruler went on to say: "There may be some elements who are [cooperating with the Taliban]. But even there, we must understand and differentiate between strategy and tactics."

"Strategically, we have to defeat the Taliban and al Qaeda. But the moment [the West starts to] micromanage how to do that, we are in conflict with those [security forces] that are operating on the Pakistan side," he added. (ANI)