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Musharraf `more than willing` to meet Vajpayee
New Delhi, June 13: Pakistan President Gen Pervez Musharraf has said he would be `more than willing` to meet Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and lead the peace talks.
New Delhi, June 13: Pakistan President Gen Pervez Musharraf has said he would be "more than willing" to meet Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and lead the peace talks.
"Prime Minister Jamali may be a better person for him (Vajpayee) to meet. But if Vajpayee is willing to meet me, I would be more than willing to meet him and lead the talks," Musharraf said in an interview to a private Indian television channel.
He said that since after the Agra talks there was a campaign to malign him and his government, he thought the Prime Minister (Jamali) might be a better person.
Refusing to accept that the Kargil war had been against Pakistan's self-interest and was a mistake, he said, "Kargil was a decision taken by the mujahideen, and we got involved because of the action taken by the Indian troops." Musharraf, however, refused to commit himself to avoiding Kargil-like situations in the future saying, "To avoid Kargils, we need to resolve disputes and much depends on how we proceed on the peace track and how things develop,” a release from the news channel said.
Insisting that there was no change in Pakistan's position that Kashmir was the core issue, he said, "We can talk of trade and economy and other issues, but no talks will succeed unless the core issue is addressed," he said.
On the US proposal for soft borders between the two countries, he said it could be a small step forward and added that people to people contact could be useful but it could not be a final solution. Regretting that Pakistan had failed to evolve a functioning democracy, he admitted that his own referendum was a mistake.
He said Pakistan was ready to send troops to Iraq if required.
Musharraf described as "worrisome" the recent imposition of Sharif law in the North West Frontier Province and warned that he would dismiss the government if it moved towards Talibanisation of NWFP. "I am for a moderate, progressive and dynamic Islamic state," he added. Bureau Report
He said that since after the Agra talks there was a campaign to malign him and his government, he thought the Prime Minister (Jamali) might be a better person.
Refusing to accept that the Kargil war had been against Pakistan's self-interest and was a mistake, he said, "Kargil was a decision taken by the mujahideen, and we got involved because of the action taken by the Indian troops." Musharraf, however, refused to commit himself to avoiding Kargil-like situations in the future saying, "To avoid Kargils, we need to resolve disputes and much depends on how we proceed on the peace track and how things develop,” a release from the news channel said.
Insisting that there was no change in Pakistan's position that Kashmir was the core issue, he said, "We can talk of trade and economy and other issues, but no talks will succeed unless the core issue is addressed," he said.
On the US proposal for soft borders between the two countries, he said it could be a small step forward and added that people to people contact could be useful but it could not be a final solution. Regretting that Pakistan had failed to evolve a functioning democracy, he admitted that his own referendum was a mistake.
He said Pakistan was ready to send troops to Iraq if required.
Musharraf described as "worrisome" the recent imposition of Sharif law in the North West Frontier Province and warned that he would dismiss the government if it moved towards Talibanisation of NWFP. "I am for a moderate, progressive and dynamic Islamic state," he added. Bureau Report