The Hindu : National : Musharraf can deliver: Advani

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 13, 2005

National

National

Musharraf can deliver: Advani

NEW DELHI, MARCH 12. The former Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, today claimed that he was behind inviting the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, for the 2002 Agra talks ``despite Kargil'' and he still believed that the latter ``can deliver''.

``That for us to have invited him [Musharraf] despite Kargil was not a small thing. I would claim that I did it...,'' he said in an interview to `Walk the Talk' programme on NDTV.

Mr. Advani said the path India-Pakistan relations had taken must be pursued and ``with General Musharraf in the office there, there is a possibility that we move forward.''

He asserted there were no differences in the then Cabinet on signing the Agra Declaration, particularly after he pointed out that there had to be ``some acceptance'' that cross border terrorism had to be curbed.

To a question, Mr. Advani said Mr. Musharraf came for the Agra talks ``with a kind of confidence which made him feel that even though he would assert Jammu and Kashmir was a freedom struggle and there is no terrorism, India would be willing to sign a treaty.''

Asked what brought about the change in the Pakistani President later, he said, ``I think in the meanwhile so many things happened in Pakistan."

To a question whether he was ``optimistic'', he said, ``I am''.

"Foreign origin issue still alive"

Turning to national politics, Mr. Advani said the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin continued to remain an issue ``in politics, in my mind and heart''.

He said there was no evolution of thought on the foreign origin issue.

``It is an approach. I don't think there is anything wrong about it and it strikes a chord in the minds of the common man.'' — PTI

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National