US-Pak relations terrible, at lowest ebb: Musharraf

Former military ruler Pervez Musharraf has described the relationship between Pakistan and the United States as "terrible".

"Pakistan-United States relations are terrible. They are at the lowest ebb," Musharraf said at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington.

"It's the most unfortunate thing because -- I fear it is unfortunate because we have to have commonality of thought and action if we want to defeat terrorism and -- if you're going to combat terrorism and extremism," he added.

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The former president said he wanted to highlight, with full conviction, the strategic plan in Pakistan, the country's overall strategy and direction as far as terrorism and extremism is concerned.

 "Certainly, it cannot be pro-Taliban, pro-Al Qaeda. Why can't it be? Because Pakistan army has suffered over 3,000 dead; because the same Inter-Services Intelligence, the much-maligned ISI, has suffered about 350 operatives dead, killed through suicide bombings. By whom? By Taliban, by Al Qaeda, the same enemy," he stated.

Musharraf said there is a problem at the tactical, at the modality, at the handling of situation, at the dealing with situations.

"There may be a misunderstanding, there may be a difference of opinion, but anyone who tries to convert this tactical mishandling and difference of opinion to reflect or to cast aspersion that ISI and army, at the top level, by design, are facilitating, abetting, encouraging, arming maybe the Haqqani group to go across and kill United States soldiers and bomb US embassy, I think is -- diverged from reality, ladies and gentlemen," he said.

He said he was 'very sad' at Admiral Mike Mullen's remarks against the ISI last month. "Now, when a person of Admiral Mullen's stature says that Haqqani group is an extension of ISI, he means that the DG-ISI, therefore the army, is against United States, is abetting with the Haqqani group, is with the Taliban. That means Pakistan is the enemy. Pakistan is not the friend. Pakistan is not the coalition member," he said.

"We have to be very, very discreet, very understanding, very accurate in this understanding. I think it is totally against the interest of United States and Pakistan and the region and also the world because it violates this -- what I say as the unity of thought and action against the Taliban, Al Qaeda and terrorists," he added.

Musharraf has termed Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai's controversial statement that his county would stand by Pakistan in case the US attacked it, as 'preposterous'.

"God forbid, if there is a war between Pakistan and US, Afghanistan would stand by Pakistan," Karzai had said in an interview with a Pakistani news channel last week.

Commenting on Karzai's remarks, Musharraf thanked the Afghan leader for giving a pro-Pakistan statement, but called the idea of war between the US and Pakistan 'ridiculous and preposterous'.

"Karzai's statement -- first of all, let me thank him, for the first time, giving a pro-Pakistan statement. But, however, the statement that he will support Pakistan against United States is most preposterous, I would say. I find this idea itself very preposterous," Musharraf said.

"Is he visualising some kind of war between the United States and Pakistan? It's ridiculous and preposterous. The thought of it is preposterous. So therefore, I wouldn't like to even answer this; I find this a very, very strange idea. Who has propounded this idea? And God forbid, I mean, this can never happen. So why comment," he added.