Pakistan leader says he's trained for war but can talk peace

January 19, 2000
Web posted at: 1:50 a.m. HKT (1750 GMT)

Musharraf

BEIJING (CNN) -- Pakistan's military ruler Gen. Pervaiz Musharraf recently traveled to China, his first official visit outside the Muslim world since he took over in a coup last October.

Beijing Bureau Chief Rebecca MacKinnon spoke with Musharraf while he was in Beijing about the tense relationship of Pakistan with India and Musharraf's stance toward the possible use of nuclear weapons in a conflict.

Following is a complete transcript of the interview:

Q: Were you disappointed at all that China has not taken Pakistan's side in the conflict with India over Kashmir?

A: No, they have been generally very supportive on the issue of Kashmir. And, whatever our stand, they have always agreed with our stand. They always have been projecting that Kashmir is a dispute which needs to be resolved peacefully and that is our stand also. So, I am not disappointed at all.

VIDEO Watch the interview. Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K     AUDIO Musharraf blames India for rising tensions between the countries 415K/37 sec. AIFF or WAV sound Musharraf denies Indian accusations of Pakistan's involvement in the hijacking of an Indian Airlines jet 431K/38 sec. WAV sound Musharraf says he would welcome Chinese mediation in the Pakistan-India conflict 355K/32 sec. AIFF or WAV sound Musharraf gives his view on the possible use of nuclear weapons 410K/37 sec. AIFF or WAV sound       QUICK VOTE Do you think strong ties between China and Pakistan spell trouble for India in the long term? Yes No View Results   MESSAGE BOARD Pakistan today

Q: Would you like China to take a more active role in helping to mediate the conflict?

A: We would certainly like to, but I wonder whether the other side would like China to participate because it's ... the problem is the problem of negotiation by a third party is from the Indian side. When we ask a third party to mediate they say we are violating the ... Lahore Declaration. Therefore this term, their term, bilateralism, is being misused by them. So therefore I don't really know. You ought to put this question to them whether they will accept Chinese mediation. We would certainly like it.

Q: The Indian government is accusing Pakistan of harboring terrorists, of even promoting terrorism, and has alleged that the Air India hijackers are currently in Pakistan. How do you intend to respond to India's allegations?

A: They are totally baseless. The hijackers of that plane -- we don't even know who there are. The names have been given by the Indians themselves. I don't believe it. They still have to prove the names to be credible, authentic. Actually, (it was) Indians who negotiated with them, with the hijackers. Pakistan was not involved.

It's the Indian desire, actually, since very, very long that they should declare somehow to get Pakistan declared as a terrorist state. Now they are using this gimmick of this hijacking incident, which actually has aggravated because of their own administrative failures, and they are pinning it on Pakistan and trying to get -- gain -- maximum leverage of trying to declare us a terrorist state, which is absolutely baseless.

Q: It seems that tensions are escalating more and more and more and more incidents seem to contribute to these tensions. What do you propose as a solution to de-escalate tensions?

A: Yes I will agree that the tensions do escalate, are escalating, and that relations between India and Pakistan are very low. But when I sit alone and think who is responsible, whether we are responsible, and I realistically and honestly ponder over this issue, the result, or the answer that comes to my mind, is no, we are not responsible. It's the Indians who are responsible. It's they who catch an incident and create such a hysteria within their own nation using all facets of their media to project wrongs and creating hysteria to a level where extrication from that hysteria becomes very difficult for themselves.

I have been saying that we are for peace. Now just because I happen to be a military man, that doesn't mean that I can't talk peace. I have been trained for war all right, but I can talk peace and I am offering peace to the Indians. That's the only thing I can say.

Q: Would Pakistan be willing to make such a gesture as pledging not to use nuclear weapons first in any conflict?

A: Well, this is a complex issue. Our nuclear potential, our basic strategy, is a strategy of minimum deterrence and our nuclear potential is meant as a deterrence and a deterrence in the conventional as well as in the non- conventional field. Now as far as its physical usage is concerned, certainly I don't see its use at all. Any sane person would not like to see nuclear bombs being used. Having said that, certainly I would like to use it -- it would be used as an absolutely last resort -- when the security and integrity of Pakistan is at stake and I would like to take a decision when the opportunity comes.

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