New York, September 17 :

President Pervez Musharraf has categorically said that former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif will not be allowed to return to Pakistan, reports Online news agency.

Addressing a ceremony at Columbia University and later replying to the queries of American students, he said democracy had deep roots in Pakistan and there was no chance of it being derailed. “They (Sharif, Bhutto) destroyed Pakistan, how could they be allowed to return and plunder the national exchequer?” Musharraf asked. They plundered $2 billion from the national exchequer and turned Pakistan into a failed state, he said. “The incumbent parliament

is working smoothly and there is no chance of its abolition. Elections will be held in 2007,” he added.

On the Pakistan-India peace process, he said the leadership of both sides was determined to take the composite dialogue process to another level. “The talks will continue,” he reiterated.

“We are satisfied with the progress of the composite dialogue on bilateral trade promotion, better people-to-people contact, and confidence building measures and are hopeful the process will move ahead,” he maintained. On Jammu and Kashmir, he said the issue was a sensitive one and needed some time. He also said as far as progress in contacts with Israel was concerned, it would continue phasewise. However, it will be good for Middle East peace that a sovereign Palestinian state emerges and both Israel and Palestine live peacefully side by side, he said. He said the greatest threat to national progress and development was extremism and terrorism. He said post-9/11 “we supported the Allied Forces and it is proof of our sincerity that we have arrested around 700 activists of the terrorist organisation and have totally dismantled the network from the country”.