The former Pakistani President, Parvez Musharraf, on Friday made an unprecedented apology to the people of Pakistan admitting for the first time that some of the decisions he took while in power had “negative'' repercussions and led to his downfall.
Emerging from his two-year political exile with the launch of a new political party, All-Pakistan Muslim League (APML), Mr. Musharraf offered to work for peace with India but made it conditional on a settlement of the Kashmir issue to the satisfaction of Pakistan.
“We stand for peace and reconciliation but with honour and dignity of Pakistan,'' he said.
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On terrorism, he promised a policy of “zero tolerance'' saying his party would “fight it to the finish''.
But most of his remarks were aimed at his domestic audience. Offering his “sincere apology'' to his people, Mr Musharraf said: “I am aware that there were decisions that led to negative political repercussions and made people unhappy. I sincerely apologise for it. I have learnt lessons from my mistakes and will not repeat them.''
Seeking their forgiveness, he said only God was “infallible'' and it was only “human to err''. He also said there were “long stories'' behind each of those decisions and he would “disclose'' them at the “right time''.
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Describing the current Pakistani administration as corrupt and inefficient, Mr. Musharraf said his decision to end his political exile was prompted by realisation that Pakistan was in a deep crisis and needed to be “saved''.
His party, he said, would “recreate the vision'' of Pakistan's founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah.