Planning re-entry, Pervez Musharraf mellows over India

There’s something about Pakistani politicians that makes them sound mellow and almost statesman-like about relations with India when they’re in exile — or on the campaign trail. But once in power, they’re transformed into India-baiting puppets of the ISI.

In Hong Kong on Wednesday, former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf, who as general orchestrated the 1999 Kargil conflict against India and is now planning a re-entry into Pakistan politics, sounded more like the man who tried (and failed) to make peace with India in 2004. Even the current violence in Kashmir doesn’t tempt him to jump on the ‘azadi’ bandwagon in the way that former PM Benazir Bhutto did.

“Pakistan has never been in favour of independence for Kashmir,” he said, taking liberties with the truth, in response to questions from DNA at a media briefing.

“When I was president, I was working with (Indian) prime ministers Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh to normalise India-Pakistan relations and resolve the disputes over Kashmir, the Siachen glacier and the Sir Creek issue.” Progress was made on all three fronts, but the process couldn’t be consummated, he added.

Since then, much water has flowed down the Sir Creek: jihadi fighters from Pakistan have waged war in Mumbai and other Indian cities and routinely pop up in connection with attempted acts of terror around the world.

But Musharraf isn’t inclined to grapple with these delicate issues. The only message he wants to focus on is how good things were in Pakistan when he was in power — and why if he returns to Pakistan politics the current “misgovernance” can be turned around.