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Vajpayee a man of peace: Musharraf
New Delhi, June 14: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf tonight described Atal Bihari Vajpayee as a man of peace and termed his Agra initiative as a `genuine try`. However, he was dismissive of Vajpayee`s Lahore bus trip.
New Delhi, June 14: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf tonight described Atal Bihari Vajpayee as a man of peace and termed his Agra initiative as a "genuine try". However, he was dismissive of Vajpayee’s Lahore bus trip.
He said he believed Vajpayee was a "man of peace" and the two leaders had almost reached an agreement at Agra summit talks in 2001.
"The invitation to Agra was a genuine try (of Vajpayee to resolve the disputes). However, the first try -- the Lahore bus trip -- was not a try at all because he was not ready to resolve issues at that time," Musharraf said in an interview to a private Indian television channel.
Recalling his meeting with Vajpayee at Agra, Musharraf said, "We had drafted the Agra Declaration. I believe he (Vajpayee) is a man of peace. Our thoughts are similar on peace." On reports that he as Army chief had refused to receive Vajpayee on his Lahore trip in February 1999, the Pakistani leader dismissed it as misconception and said, "I welcomed him at the airport. I was the first to shake his hand. I did not go to Wagah because I was in uniform."
Asked whether converting Indo-Pak border into a soft border was a possibility, he agreed, saying, "People-to-people contact was necessary."
"But it cannot solve the problem, although it can be a way forward," Musharraf said. He said Kashmir was not standing in the way of improving economic situation and removing poverty in Pakistan even during the "maximum confrontation" with India. "Poverty has declined in Pakistan recently," he claimed.
Asked whether he felt the world may be "laughing" at what was happening between India and Pakistan, Musharraf disagreed, saying, "They may be scared and concerned of a conflict between us."
He said it was a sad reflection of the current state of affairs in South Asia and "regretted" it.
On the question of international terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden, Musharraf said he now felt that he might be alive and be "somewhere in Afghanistan and not in Pakistan."
Referring to the presence of US troops in Pakistan, he disagreed that there was a large number of them there, saying the figure "would not be more than 1,000."
He said they would remain in Pakistan till the Afghan issue was settled after which "they must leave". Bureau Report
"The invitation to Agra was a genuine try (of Vajpayee to resolve the disputes). However, the first try -- the Lahore bus trip -- was not a try at all because he was not ready to resolve issues at that time," Musharraf said in an interview to a private Indian television channel.
Recalling his meeting with Vajpayee at Agra, Musharraf said, "We had drafted the Agra Declaration. I believe he (Vajpayee) is a man of peace. Our thoughts are similar on peace." On reports that he as Army chief had refused to receive Vajpayee on his Lahore trip in February 1999, the Pakistani leader dismissed it as misconception and said, "I welcomed him at the airport. I was the first to shake his hand. I did not go to Wagah because I was in uniform."
Asked whether converting Indo-Pak border into a soft border was a possibility, he agreed, saying, "People-to-people contact was necessary."
"But it cannot solve the problem, although it can be a way forward," Musharraf said. He said Kashmir was not standing in the way of improving economic situation and removing poverty in Pakistan even during the "maximum confrontation" with India. "Poverty has declined in Pakistan recently," he claimed.
Asked whether he felt the world may be "laughing" at what was happening between India and Pakistan, Musharraf disagreed, saying, "They may be scared and concerned of a conflict between us."
He said it was a sad reflection of the current state of affairs in South Asia and "regretted" it.
On the question of international terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden, Musharraf said he now felt that he might be alive and be "somewhere in Afghanistan and not in Pakistan."
Referring to the presence of US troops in Pakistan, he disagreed that there was a large number of them there, saying the figure "would not be more than 1,000."
He said they would remain in Pakistan till the Afghan issue was settled after which "they must leave". Bureau Report