London, Aug 19: The Taliban and Al Qaeda leaders reportedly celebrated the exit of Pervez Musharraf from the Presidency atop the hilly terrains along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, while the Muslim extremists had a sigh of relief across the country. And, they all pledged to hunt down Musharraf and eliminate him for aligning with the Western countries and killing hundreds in Pakistan in the name of war on terror, particularly during the Lal Masjid attack.

According to The Sun, Taliban warlords pledged last night to hunt down and murder Pakistan’s ousted President Pervez Musharraf. They were determined to exact brutal revenge for his dedication in supporting the West’s fight against Islamic terrorism.

The ex-army chief, who was forced into quitting amid mounting pressure to have him impeached on charges of violating the constitution and misconduct, has survived as many as nine attempts on his life in the past.

But, last night Pakistani Taliban spokesman Maulvi Umar warned: “He should be awarded strict punishment.”

Muslim extremists are also said to be baying for blood, especially for attacking the Lal Masjid killing several innocent children. Maulana Mehraj, prayer leader at the Lal Masjid mosque in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, reportedly said: “We hope Musharraf goes to hell. We will find him, he must be hounded to death.”

Maulana Amir, a teacher at the Jamia Mohamdia madrassa in Islamabad said: “Musharraf killed hundreds of people and he must be killed.”

The outgoing President seized power in a military coup in 1999 and began improving Pakistan’s relations with the West. A major step in that process came after the 9/11 attacks on America in 2001. Musharraf immediately put Pakistan on the front line of the war on terror.

But, his popularity at home gradually deteriorated and he sparked a major crisis last year when he sacked judges and imposed emergency rule. Opposition parties took power as a coalition in February this year and set about plotting his downfall. (ANI)