Musharraf to keep out fired judges

Islamabad: An angry President Pervez Musharraf defended the state of emergency (which he lifted on Saturday) and blamed the Western media for many of his problems - from increased attacks by Islamist extremists to lawyers who have taken to the streets to protest his suspension of the constitution and firing of the country's chief justice.

In an interview with The Washington Post, on Friday, the Pakistani president reiterated that he would not reinstate judges who opposed him. He refused to say whether he would endorse a constitutional amendment to allow former prime minister Benazir Bhutto to serve a third term.

Is there a difference now that you have shed your uniform and relinquished your post of army chief of staff?
On a personal note, I loved my uniform. From the national point of view, I don't think there is a difference. I think the overall situation will be better and stronger.

The army is being managed by a chief of staff dedicated to the job, and I will be president of Pakistan, and if the two are totally in harmony, the situation is better.

You will appoint the heads of the army?
I will appoint the chief. The security services report to the president and the prime minister. ... The ISI (military intelligence service) reports to the political leaders.

Once there is a prime minister, how do you see power being shared?
The prime minister runs the government. Then there is a National Security Council chaired by the president that meets to review situations. But this is only a consultative body. There is no sharing of responsibility, really.

Wasn't there a code of conduct (mandating 'responsible journalism')?
We issued a code of conduct and asked them to sign it. It's as good as you have in your own country. All the channels except one accepted it, and all except one are open. The print media were not closed at all.

In the US, there is no code of conduct for journalists - they are free to write what they want.
If you see our press and electronic media, there is no problem criticising the government. ... The problem was that they were distorting realities and creating despondencies in the people of Pakistan by showing pictures of dead bodies and interviewing terrorists - not showing the law enforcement authorities in a good light but showing the terrorists in a better light.

In the US, it would be unacceptable to have a code of conduct. Don't you think you should lift that once you end the state of emergency?
No, the code of conduct is there in most countries of the world. Why should we compare the United States to Pakistan?

Will the judges be restored to their prior positions?
No, not at all. What judges? Why should they be restored? New judges are there. They will never be restored.

People in the West will have a hard time understanding that.
Let them not understand. They should come to Pakistan and understand Pakistan.

Since you say you are restoring the constitution, why not also restore the courts?
No, there is no restoration of courts required - the courts are already there.

But these judges are handpicked by you.
We took action. The judges had to take oaths, and those that took the oaths are there. Those that did not are gone. This action was validated by the Supreme Court of Pakistan. ... There was something seriously wrong with the chief justice of Pakistan.

On March 9, there were charges against him of corruption; [he was accused of] interfering [with] the judgments of judges on other courts; he was accused of interfering in the executive by taking actions on issues from traffic control to privatisation.

Do you feel you stuck your neck out for the United States after September 11 and the United States has not stood by you?
No, I don't. I stuck out my neck for Pakistan. I didn't stick out my neck for anyone else. It happened to be in the interest of the world and the US.

The problem with the West and your media is your obsession with democracy, civil liberties, human rights. You think your definition of all these things is [correct]. Who has built democratic institutions in Pakistan? I have done it in the last eight years.

Then why are you now clamping down on the media? You seem far more angry now than ever before.
I think you are right. (laughs) Why don't you understand? Am I a madman? Have I suddenly changed? Am I a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde?

People make mistakes.
I don't make such mistakes. I take considered views. I don't sleep at night and suddenly dream of something and issue orders in the morning. I discuss, I debate issues and then take decisions.

Can Pakistan contain the threat from the extreme Islamists?
We are combating it, and I think we are on the winning side. The issue is in the FATA - that is, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. There are two of them in north and south Waziristan and a third one in Bajaur.

Is that the area where you think Osama Bin Laden is hiding?
No, these are settled districts. He could be in Bajaur - this is the tribal agency bordering Kunar province, where there were no coalition forces in the past. On the Afghan side - that's in Afghanistan.

So you can go from one side to the other?
That's a possibility.

Does your intelligence service know where Bin Laden is?
Nobody knows.

Do you feel you could work with Benazir Bhutto?
When you talk of working with her, you imply she is going to be the prime minister. Why do you imply that? I keep telling everyone we haven't had the elections.

If she gets enough votes, do you think you could work with her?
Yes, of course.

If she gets enough votes in the Congress to allow her to serve a third term, would you allow the ban (on anyone serving for three terms as prime minister) to be lifted?
We'll have to decide on that once they win the vote. ...

But didn't you promise the US last summer that you'd lift the ban on that?
No, I haven't given any such promises. We did talk about it, but there were many things that we talked about which have been violated ...

And you feel you could work with her?
I think so. I am not such an unpleasant person.

Some say that you want the prime minister to come from your own party.
We are going to have fair and transparent elections.

Is that really true?
Why do you think it is untrue?

What do you think about President Bush saying that US troops would operate unilaterally in Pakistan against Al Qaida if necessary?
That will not be acceptable to Pakistan. The people of Pakistan will not accept any foreign involvement here, and I do not think it is required. We have intelligence cooperation.