06-24-2008, 07:44 AM
US: Musharraf made âa number of mistakesâ
Washington, June 23
With Pakistanâs ruling coalition gunning for President Pervez Musharraf, the US has said that he made a ânumber of mistakesâ during his eight-year reign including imposing a state of emergency in 2007.
âI have said.... to him that he made a number of mistakes. And I thought that the state of emergency was a mistake,â US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice said in an interview.
The Bush administration official said that the issue of Musharrafâs resignation was an âinternal matterâ of the country but insisted that he âhas been a good allyâ and did a âgreat thingâ for his country by giving up uniform and bringing back civilian rule.
âThis is clearly a Pakistani matter. Heâs the President of Pakistan and weâll treat him as the President of Pakistan. But Pakistan is in a period now of bringing its new democratic institutions into being. They will work through these matters,â she told CNN when asked about Musharrafâs ouster during an interview whose transcript was released by the state department.
The PPP which leads Pakistanâs ruling coalition has already declared that Musharrafâs days as president were numbered with its chairman Asif Ali Zardari saying that he was planning a strategy with ally PML(N) for the Presidentâs ouster.
Rice added, âBut President Musharraf has been a good ally. He did a lot for Pakistan in bringing it into civilian rule. And heâs somebody that we will continue to treat with respect.â â PTI
Washington, June 23
With Pakistanâs ruling coalition gunning for President Pervez Musharraf, the US has said that he made a ânumber of mistakesâ during his eight-year reign including imposing a state of emergency in 2007.
âI have said.... to him that he made a number of mistakes. And I thought that the state of emergency was a mistake,â US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice said in an interview.
The Bush administration official said that the issue of Musharrafâs resignation was an âinternal matterâ of the country but insisted that he âhas been a good allyâ and did a âgreat thingâ for his country by giving up uniform and bringing back civilian rule.
âThis is clearly a Pakistani matter. Heâs the President of Pakistan and weâll treat him as the President of Pakistan. But Pakistan is in a period now of bringing its new democratic institutions into being. They will work through these matters,â she told CNN when asked about Musharrafâs ouster during an interview whose transcript was released by the state department.
The PPP which leads Pakistanâs ruling coalition has already declared that Musharrafâs days as president were numbered with its chairman Asif Ali Zardari saying that he was planning a strategy with ally PML(N) for the Presidentâs ouster.
Rice added, âBut President Musharraf has been a good ally. He did a lot for Pakistan in bringing it into civilian rule. And heâs somebody that we will continue to treat with respect.â â PTI