BELLEVUE, Wash. - For a man who hasn't been in power for more than a year, former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf still can command a room.
The 66-year-old former leader of Pakistan is very involved in the politics of his former country. When asked, he said he is not against returning to power in the nation he ruled for 7 years.
"I would like to ask all these Pakistanis sitting around if they would like me to do it," he said.
Musharraf is in town to speak at a dinner at the Bellevue Westin for a group called the Friends of Pakistan First.
Earlier at a media briefing he spoke about the recent bombing of an office of Washington state-based charity World Vision.
"It's most terrible. It's most condemnable. I can't understand," he said. "It's just unfortunate that there is so much terrorism and extremism going on around Pakistan, in Afghanistan."
Musharraf was a key ally of the United States in the war on terror and the continuing hunt for Taliban fighters and Osama bin Laden.
Pakistan is a nuclear nation with impenetrable tribal areas and seemingly lawless borderlands.
Musharraf says Pakistan has not been soft on the Taliban and has adopted the right strategy to deal with the terrorist organization.
"The armed forces of Pakistan has suffered more than 2,000 casualties and we are still fighting there and we will continue fighting until we win," he said.
Protesters upset about the policies of the former president held a silent vigil outside the Westin.
