Warning that extremists have the potential to destroy Pakistan, President Pervez Musharraf has said that their political strength was a nightmare for the country.
"The nightmare for Pakistan is that the extremists are in strength politically. That is a tussle I am involved in at the momentÂ… to get the masses to realise that while we are Muslims, we should not follow the extremists because they will destroy Pakistan," he said in a documentary telecast by BBC.
Musharraf said he is a moderate and a staunch Muslim. "We pray, we are fasting, we go for Hajj, give Zakat and perform other rituals so all of us are staunch Muslims," he said.
He said the extremists are in minority and they want to dominate all.
"We should change this situation, it has to be done whatever the risks are. It is my responsibility to motivate the people to stand up and be counted," he said.
Musharraf, who has insisted that Osama bin Laden is Afghanistan's tribal belt bordering Pakistan, admitted that the al Qaeda chief could be on (Pak-Afghan) border switching sides.
'I do not know where he is. I can only guess. My guess is that he is somewhere in the tribal belt. He is on the belt or on the border, switching sides,' he said.
He added that Pakistan's diplomatic association with Taliban in the past has become meaningless as the militia was going to be sorted out. Stating that Osama was a sensitive issue, he said, 'I would rather like any Muslim country to come and take him to their country. Let me see how may countries volunteer,' he said.
