Pervez Musharraf questions India's role in Afghanistan

Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf today charged India of trying to create an "anti-Pakistan Afghanistan," contending that New Delhi is using its consulates in places like Jalalabad and Kandahar to foment trouble in his country.

Speaking at the council of foreign relations, Musharraf also hit back at criticism of Pakistan's handling of terror elements in the region, saying any responsibility of failure rests equally with the US and Afghan forces.

"If I'm allowed to be very, very frank, India's role in Afghanistan is to create an anti-Pakistan Afghanistan," Musharraf, who is attempting to script a comeback into Pakistani politics, said.

Musharraf is in the US to drum up support for his comeback, which he announced earlier this year by launching a new political party — the All Pakistan Muslim League — that would contest elections in 2013.

"This is very clear to me. There are consulates in Kandahar and Jalalabad... actually involved in creating trouble in Pakistan. They have no other role," Musharraf said on India's presence in Afghanistan.

"Why wouldn't the consulates be somewhere in the north facing Uzbekistan and Tajikistan?" he asked.

Pakistani officials have raised such concerns earlier but India has rubbished these allegations, maintaining that its presence in Afghanistan was for developmental reasons.

India has committed US$ 1.3 billion in assistance to the reconstruction of the war-torn country. It is working on a range of developmental projects which cover areas like infrastructure, power, healthcare, education and social sector.

The Indian embassy and its interests in the country have also been targetted by militants.

The former military leader reacted indignantly to many pointed questions on why Pakistan's territory was being used as a safe haven for radical extremists.

He also shot back at questionns over how extremists like Osama bin Laden had crossed over to Pakistan through the porous borders to escape the coalition forces.

"Why is the responsibility of their coming into Pakistan not the fault of Afghan forces and US forces and coalition forces?" he asked.

"It [responsibility] should be shared at least 50-50," he said.

Musharraf also pointed out that there was very little literacy in the tribal areas of Afghanistan, where bin Laden was viewed as a "guest" of the elders by the local communities.