'Summit Invite Due To Pressure From US'

Pakistan President Gen. Pervez Musharraf shares an opinion that India hasinvited him for talks following pressure mounted by the US as well as theattacks from the Islamic militant groups in Kashmir and ruled out any discussionon independence to the state in the forthcoming Indo-Pak summit.

Reporting on yesterday's meeting between Gen. Musharraf and senior editors ofPakistani newspapers, local daily Dawn said today that the military ruleragreed with an opinion expressed by an editor that Indians faced pressure fromUS to negotiate and resolve issues with Pakistan.

He also agreed that Vajpayee could not have invited him for talks had therebeen no pressure by the international community, it said. Gen. Musharraf hasalso said that the struggle by the Jihadi groups had also contributed to theIndian realisation that New Delhi should settle issues with Islamabad.

Pakistan newsagency Online has quoted Gen. Musharraf ruling out talkson the third option during his meeting with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.In turn the negotiations would be 'overshadowed' by the core issue of Kashmir,he told the editors.

Some of the editors who took part in Gen. Musharraf's meeting said themilitary ruler has assured them that he would not have any secret understandingwith India on Kashmir, Siachen or any other issue during his meeting withVajpayee and he would try his best to meet Hurriyat Conference leaders duringhis stay in New Delhi.

Musharraf told editors, though he would try his best to meet the Hurriyatleaders, it was not his endeavour to go for a confrontation with Indianleadership on this issue.

He is also understood to have said that the question of him reaching anysecret understanding with India on Kashmir or any other issue 'simply' did notarise and promised to be as transparent as possible.

The General said that in order to prove his intentions he would try toaddress a joint press conference with Vajpayee at the end of the summit in Agra.

During his three-hour interaction with the editors, he also revealed that hehad three telephone conversations with Vajpayee during the past few weeks and hemade it clear that Kashmir would be the focus of his talks.

The General stated that he was given to understand by Vajpayee that Kashmirwould be the main issue on the agenda.

He also told Vajpayee that the statements emanating from Indian leaders,stating that Kashmir belonged to India, vitiated the atmosphere.

At this, Vajpayee is understood to have said that the media distorted thestatements.

Referring to the importance he attached to Kashmir issue, Gen. Musharraf hasbeen quoted as saying by the state television in its report on the editorsmeeting, that there was a vast difference between talks on Kashmir and all otherissues and all other issues and Kashmir.

Musharraf was assured by the Indian leaders that it would be Kashmir and allother issues and not the other way.

The difference between the two approaches is like the difference between thesky and earth, he said.

The official APP newsagency, reported Gen. Musharraf as telling editors thathe had decided to go to New Delhi after sensing Indian leadership's 'realisation'to resolve Kashmir issue and reiterated that Pakistan would join India at thesummit in Agra next month with an 'open mind and an open agenda' to have afocussed dialogue on Kashmir and all other issues.

He said that he had sensed a realisation on the Indian side to resolveKashmir issue which was not the case on previous occasions when the twocountries had met and discussed bilateral relations.

He said he was willing to discuss the relationship in its entirety andexpected reciprocity from the other side.

Musharraf, however, cautioned against placing too much hope on this visitalone as the complexities of the problem and the mistrust of half a centurycould not be removed overnight. (PTI)