US 'distrust' worries Musharraf

By Asif Farooqi
BBC Urdu service, Islamabad

Mr Musharraf has mostly stayed out of the limelight since resigning

Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has said there is a "serious lack of trust" among the new US leadership for the South Asian nation.

In only his second interview since resigning, he also said there was great concern over the country's inability to fight extremism on its borders.

Mr Musharraf was Pakistan's ruler when it joined the "war on terror" in 2001.

He came to power in 1999 after staging a coup as head of Pakistan's army. He resigned in 2008.

Mr Musharraf did so after his allies lost heavily in national elections following a campaign against his rule.

'No change'

"A change in policy is dependent upon a change in the situation on the ground, not by a change in faces", Mr Musharraf said in the interview conducted by the BBC Urdu service in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.

"The fact remains that there has been no change in the overall situation in Pakistan and the tribal areas over the recent past."

Analysts say the Pakistani government is suspicious of Mr Musharraf

Mr Musharraf was speaking at the residence of the chief of Pakistan's army, a post he vacated last year.

The former president had just returned from a trip to the US, where he met several senior US leaders.

According to him, Pakistan's new government had been unable to establish a strong relationship with the new US administration.

"This should be a matter of great concern for Pakistan," he said.

He emphasised that despite expectations in Pakistan, US policies in the region would not undergo any serious changes.

On a personal note, he said he was enjoying his retirement and had been invited to give lectures on Pakistan and the South Asian region from around the world.

He said the first invitation he had accepted was from India, where he expected to speak at a conference in Delhi next month.

Mr Musharraf said he had done a lot of research on the problems of governance in developing countries and intended to share his experiences.

He also said he wanted to counter the suspicions and misunderstandings being spread about Pakistan and its institutions.

Since resigning from office last year, Mr Musharraf has mostly chosen to stay out of the limelight despite a great deal of interest in his views.

He stepped down after striking a deal with Pakistan's current government which, some analysts say, still fears his continued role in the country's affairs.