Pointing out that it was "critical" to defeat Taliban, former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf has sharply criticised US plans to begin troops pull-out from Afghanistan in a year's time.
"We are there because we understand how critical it is to the region and to the world," Musharraf, now on a lecture tour
of US, told a gathering at the Portland University in Oregon last night.
While praising US president Barack Obama for sending 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, Musharraf said efforts should be to win the war against terror fully.
Opposing Obama's plan to begin withdrawing forces in July 2011, the former Pakistan ruler said the fight should go on until the Taliban is defeated.
He said Obama was too worried about public opinion. "Sometimes in the lives of leaders, you must do the unpopular as the real test of leadership lies there."
The former Pakistan Army chief said the recent wave of arrests of top Taliban commanders were a "positive sign", but did not mark a major blow to Taliban forces.
He said Taliban was not a monolith force as some people think and a person who is the second most important man of the group has not great impact on Taliban.
In the address, Musharraf claimed he would return to Pakistan if the people wanted him back and thought he could help the country.
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