Extremism can flourish only in an environment where basic governmental social responsibility for the welfare of the people is neglected. Political dictatorship and social hopelessness create the desperation that fuels religious extremism.

Our people are dying, poverty and unemployment are on the rise, but the rest of the world says that Musharraf is needed because [only] he can stop nuclear proliferation, [only] he [can launch] an operation in the tribal areas. So he manipulates and dangles some kind of carrot in front of the world all the time. This is not good for the people [of Pakistan], and I think the world has got it all wrong.

Whatever my aims and agendas were, I never asked for power.

Right now, they feel they have lost their voice, and their miseries have increased since my departure.

I was brought up to believe that human beings are good, which is why it shocks me to the core when I see human beings behaving badly.

I'm not into smoke-filled rooms. I don't have the time for byzantine political intrigues.

The Holy Book calls upon Muslims to resist tyranny. Dictatorships in Pakistan, however long, have, therefore, always collapsed in the face of this spirit.