Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor on Monday said he was not surprised by former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's admission that the military aid the United States gave to Pakistan was used to strengthen defences against India rather than fighting the war on terror on Pakistan's borders with Afghanistan.
Speaking to media persons outside his South Block office in New Delhi, Tharoor said: "We know Pakistan has been misusing US aid for years. I am not surprised by former President Musharraf's statement. This confirms India's stand on the misuse of aid. The United States should monitor aid given to Pakistan more carefully."
Tharoor's response came after Musharraf admitted that he had violated the rules governing the use of the military aid, but justified his action, saying he had 'acted in the best interest of Pakistan'.
I did not want to compromise on Pakistan's interests, he said.
In an interview to a news channel, Musharraf said he 'did not care' if the US would be angered by his disclosure.
Musharraf said had he not supported the US in the war on terror after the September 11, 2001 attacks, American forces could have entered Pakistan to capture its nuclear assets; it was also possible that US and India could have jointly attacked the country, he added.
