The Hindu : `Vajpayee asked me to take care'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 07, 2004

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`Vajpayee asked me to take care'

By Our Islamabad Bureau

ISLAMABAD JAN. 6. The Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, disclosed here this evening that the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, asked him to take care of himself from terrorists when the latter called him up to congratulate him on the success of the SAARC summit.

At a news conference where he gave details of his telephonic talk with Mr. Vajpayee, Gen. Musharraf could not control his laughter while disclosing that Mr. Vajpayee wished him protection.

"This morning I received a call from him. He wished me protection [from terrorists] and I wished him a long life. We also congratulated each other on the successful joint statement," he said.

Asked whether he feared more threats to his life on account of the latest "deal" with India, Gen. Musharraf said he had nine lives and he had not "consumed" all of them.

He said the ceasefire in Kashmir was not under his control and maintained that the Line of Control (LoC) was in the command of Pakistan where the Government can order a ceasefire with "a blow of a whistle." "We cannot guarantee a ceasefire in Kashmir. But I think my words carry weight and they [Kashmiris] can consider my proposals."

He said the India-Pakistan joint statement was a victory for the people of the region. "Moderates of the region are victors," he said, adding that extremists from both sides of the border may try to sabotage the process."This is a good beginning. We will move forward with hard work, sincerity," he said. The need was not to touch on divergences. "The time has come to leave the old divergences [behind]." He denied that India and Pakistan had reached any "secret deal."

Asked why India should believe his assurance on dealing with terrorism, he said: "I only say what I mean."

On the composite dialogue, he stressed that its "when and where" would be finalised over a period of time. At some stage, he said, the people of Kashmir would have to be taken into confidence. "We must have the Kashmiris involved in one way or the other."

The Pakistan Prime Minister, Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, said Pakistan was for "peace" and was not interested in the "piece" process. "We want good relations with all. Our talks with Atal Bihari Vajpayee have been fruitful. We are hopeful of stability and peace in South Asia."

"Musharraf and Vajpayee hold the key to success," Mr. Jamali said. The "courtesy calls" among him, Gen. Musharraf and Mr. Vajpayee lasted longer than expected. "I took half-an-hour and Musharraf took an hour."

On Mr. Vajpayee's proposal that India, Pakistan and Bangladesh should jointly celebrate the 150th anniversary of the 1857 war of independence, Mr. Jamali said the war had a different connotation for Pakistan. "We can consider it," he said.

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