ISLAMABAD - All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) chief Gen. (retd) Pervez Musharraf is ready to play role in unifying factions of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) provided the leadership of the Karachi-based party asks for it.

In a statement issued here yesterday, Musharraf termed the fragmentation of MQM a bad omen and said that all democracy loving people would not be happy over the situation as weakening of political parties would actually mean weakening of the democratic order.

MQM was quite comfortable with military rule in the past and political observers at that time even talked of Musharraf’s joining the party after relinquishing the position as army chief, however, he (Musharraf) preferred to form his own party.

But even after forming his own political party there was softness between the APML and MQM and on a number of issues both the parties shared an identical viewpoint.

Political pundits still see some connection between the two political forces and have never ruled out a soft alliance between the two. The statement of General Musharraf offering his services to save MQM from further fragmentation is considered a significant move on the part of APML chief.

However, at the same time General Musharraf came out categorical to condemn all those who speak against Pakistan and without naming Altaf Hussain, he said, the person living in United Kingdom or United States is condemnable when he speaks against the motherland.

Sources in the APML said that the party leadership has dissociated themselves from MQM chief Altaf Hussain and that was the reason General Musharraf came out clear against all those uttering foul against the country and showed sympathy to the MQM leadership back home, which had not only denounced MQM chief for uttering foul against the country and delink themselves from him.

General Musharraf also grilled the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) for not denouncing Indian Premier’s onslaught against Pakistan and demanded of the government to give a warning to Modi to stop his venomous remarks against Pakistan.

He also demanded that Pakistan must extend moral and diplomatic support to the separatist movements inside India and also raise the issue of Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir at all available forums with full force.

He further grilled the PML-N government for not having a proactive foreign policy and said that Pakistan must evolve an independent foreign policy instead of following the India-specific foreign policy for playing lead role in the region.

He also reiterated his view of granting extension to Chief of Army Staff for another term so as to maintain the continuity in the ongoing policy on the war on terror. He warned that the war against terror was passing through a critical phase and any setback to it in shape of change in command should be avoided.