Truth has finally come out: India on Pervez Musharraf's terror admission

New Delhi: Political parties and security experts on Wednesday reacted sharply to former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf acknowledging that his country supported and trained terror groups like LeT and said that the truth is finally out.

Both the BJP and the Congress were together in attacking Pakistan for aiding terrorists against India after Musharraf's statement and demanded that wanted terrorists be handed over to India.

Union minister Venkaiah Naidu said, "For a change he spoke the truth ... If they at all are really interested in fighting terror, sometimes they should also raise voice ... They should really make these people available to India because they have committed heinous crimes here."

He said now that Musharraf himself has made it very clear that they have given support to Dawood Ibrahim and given him shelter earlier, "Pakistan understands responsibility and should hand over Dawood and other people who all are required in India."

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval took a dig at Musharraf's statement saying, "Jaise hero honge, waise hi log honge" (people will always be like their heroes).

When asked about it, Pakistan high commissioner to India Abdul Basit did not respond and merely said, "I will talk about these issues later."

Former Army chief V P Malik said the truth has come out now that how Musharraf was trying to deceive people both within and outside his country.

Army's retired Maj Gen G D Bakshi said there is official sanction to whatever the former Pakistan President has said and termed his statement as a "bland admission that Pakistan raised and trained the Taliban".

BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said Pakistan has been exposed after the revelations and the party's stand towards Pakistan also stood vindicated that it has established terror factories against India.

Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said after Musharraf's statement on Osama bin Laden and terror outfits, it is clear that Pakistan is the home of terrorism.

In a recent media interview, Musharraf acknowledged Pakistan supported and trained terror groups like LeT in 1990s for fanning militancy in Kashmir.

The 72-year-old former military ruler also asserted that terror leaders like Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri were Pakistan's "heroes" but later became "villains".

Reacting to the remarks, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, "Musharraf's statement admitting support to terrorist groups is a 'confession of protectors and promoters of terrorism'," adding," it has once again exposed the real face of Pakistan."

Congress leader Manish Tiwari said there is bitterness in both India and Pakistan due to partition in which millions lost their lives.

"There is a very deep and divisive hate-Pakistan sentiment in India and a hate-India sentiment in Pakistan and there are people on both sides of the divide who make capital out of it," he said.

BJP leader Sharma said India is capable of responding to Pakistan in the language it understands and asserted that anti-India activities from Pakistan will not be tolerated for long.

"Pakistan stands exposed and BJP's stand towards Pakistan stands vindicated. We always knew that Pakistan has established terror factories against India and Musharraf's statement should be an eye-opener for the international community," he said.

Bakshi termed Musharraf's remarks as "not the rantings of some private individual but those of a former head of state and of a former head of Pakistan army which actually calls the shots in Pakistan which de facto runs the state of Pakistan".

According to Malik, "This truth had to come out sooner or later. It has come out and there are more people also speaking about it. But it has come out at a time when Musharraf's own credibility is also now getting known to people. How he was able to lie not only within this own country, but outside also and how he has been trying to deceive people?"