India plays cool to Musharraf’s offer

"There was nothing new in what he said," a foreign office spokesman told reporters when asked about Gen Musharraf’s direct offer made in an interview telecast on Doordarshan on Monday night.

"On all the points raised in the interview, we have said what we have to say from time to time. There is no change in our position," the spokesman said.

New Delhi’s cool response clearly indicated that Vajpayee was in no hurry to meet Gen Musharraf.

Last year, following the then Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif expressing his desire to meet Vajpayee in an interview to a leading English Indian daily, India had given a quick positive response with the Prime Minister shortly thereafter embarking on the historic bus journey to Lahore. The Vajpayee-Sharif meeting had resulted in the Lahore declaration.

However, months later, Pakistan’s intrusion in Kargil had shattered the trust and confidence, making India wary of Pakistani overtures for having dialogue, officials said.