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India trying to create anti-Pak Afghanistan: Musharraf

October 08, 2011 12:33 IST

Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf has claimed that India's ambition is to weaken Pakistan so that the country can be dominated.

"I mean, dominance in todays' world, I think, dominating a country or moving against a country doesn't mean that they want to take over Pakistan. I don't think that (India taking over Pakistan) can happen," Musharraf said at a think tank in Washington.

"After all, they helped Bangladesh get independence. They haven't taken over Bangladesh. It implies dominating their foreign policy, dominating their economic policies, their trade, their commerce," he said.

Responding to questions, Musharraf claimed that India's ambition is to weaken Pakistan, to have a weak Pakistan so that it can be dominated, so that it does not have any confrontationist attitude, which does not go well with India's vision of "dominating the region" and maybe being if not a world power, at least a regional power.

Musharraf, who has leveled allegations against India's developmental work in Afghanistan in the past, said the United States needs to ask New Delhi to stop this.

"We know that Afghanistan's intelligence, Afghanistan's diplomats, Afghanistan's soldiers, all the army, security people, they all go to India for training. Pakistan and I had offered them training facilities free of cost in Pakistan, to all of them. Not one man has come to Pakistan for training.

They go to India. So, therefore, we receive intelligence, diplomats, soldiers indoctrinated against Pakistan's interests," he said

"So, this is what we must understand must stop. India must stop it and the United States must understand Pakistan's concern what is happening in Afghanistan. I would say that the United States needs to understand Pakistan's sensitivities. I see that there is a lack of concern for Pakistan's sensitivities," Musharraf said.

The former Pakistani military ruler said that after the two countries got their independence, there has been a tussle between their intelligence organiations -- RAW on one side, the Inter-Services Intelligence on the other.

"This has been happening all over these decades. Now, this must go if we must resolve dispute. Now, in the late history, the past three or four years, this manifestation is in Afghanistan. In Afghanistan there is some kind of a proxy conflict going on between Pakistan and India. India is trying to create an anti-Pakistan Afghanistan," he said.