Musharraf open to political alliance with Hafiz Saeed, JuD
What's the story
Pakistan's former President Pervez Musharraf said he's open to forging a political alliance with 26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed's Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD). This comes days after Musharraf said he's the "biggest supporter" of Saeed and his anti-India militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Last month, the exiled Musharraf announced the formation of Awami Ittehad, a grand alliance" of 23 parties to contest the 2018 general elections.
03 Dec 2017
26/11-mastermind Hafiz Saeed to contest Pakistan General Elections next year
On December 3, 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed, a UN-designated terrorist, announced that he planned to contest the 2018 Pakistan general elections. This came days after his release from house arrest. Saifullah Khalid, party president of Jamaat-ud-Dawa's (JuD) and its political face Milli Muslim League (MML), said he wants to make Pakistan a "real Islamic and welfare state".
29 Nov 2017
Pervez Musharraf says he's the "biggest supporter" of Lashkar-e-Taiba
On November 29, Pakistan's former president Pervez Musharraf admitted to being the "biggest supporter" of the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its founder Hafiz Saeed. Musharraf said he supported the LeT's role in "suppressing" the Indian Army in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). His statement came days after Saeed's release from house arrest on the orders of the Lahore High Court.
Controversial statement
Musharraf "proudly" feels LeT and JuD are good for Pakistan
Musharraf, who is living in self-exile in Dubai, said he "proudly" feels that "LeT and JuD are both very good organizations of Pakistan." He praised their role in relief efforts during the 2005 Kashmir earthquake. He said there have been no talks with the JuD or Saeed "but if they want to be included in the alliance, by all means, I will welcome them."
Quote
Musharraf's statement comes amid Saeed's planned entry into politics
When Musharraf was asked about the global repercussions of his statements favoring the LeT, he replied, "This is our country...we are aware of the internal situation in the country, the people in it and if they are good or bad."
Explained
Musharraf believes Saeed is keeping Pakistani youth away from weapons
Musharraf claimed the LeT and JuD weren't "in favor of al-Qaeda or the Taliban" and questioned why the outfits were being pushed "to the wall." "They have religious followers, youngsters who are religious...They are not terrorists and we should tell (this to) America and the world," he added. Musharraf said Saeed deserves credit for pushing his followers towards welfare organizations, not "taking up weapons."