Musharraf offers to meet Vajpayee

quot;We ought to break the logjam, reduce tension which can be done only through a discussion, cut hysterics against each other and address issues of major concern,quot; he said.

He wanted both sides to simultaneously take measures to de-escalate tension. quot;let us take steps together,quot; he said.

New Delhi has made it clear that Islamabad had to create the right atmosphere which included cessation of cross-border terrorism and stoppage of anti-India propaganda for having any meaningful dialogue.

Gen Musharraf admitted to a pointed question that Pakistanis were crossing into Jamp;K but denied any government involvement in it.

quot;There are people who are joining the freedom struggle there, going through the LoC which is very porous but the government is not involved,quot; he said.

Gen Musharraf denied the presence in Pakistan of hijackers of the recent Indian Airlines aircraft. quot;Let India give us the proofquot; about this, he said, adding the military regime has made it clear that quot;if they hijackers are here, we will try themquot;.

Asked how long it would take for him to restore democracy in Pakistan, he said, quot;I cannot give a time-table because I am more concerned about attaining certain objectives for Pakistan.quot;

He, however, went on to add, quot;I don8217;t want to perpetuate myself8230;.I believe in quitting when at the peak. I would not like to be quitting when I am on the downward slide.quot;

Asked whether he would hold national elections next year, he said, quot;I cannot say that.quot; Gen Musharraf said he was involved in bringing about structural and strategic changes in Pakistan. quot;These are real changes which are everlasting and futuristic and they will take a little time.quot;

He asserted Pakistan now had a quot;civilian regime with a military head and being monitored by the militaryquot;.

The Pakistani military ruler said he was not a dictator, observing quot;a democratic method of dispensation is always far better than being autocraticquot;.

Asked about his directive to supreme court judges to take fresh oath, Gen Musharraf said this was quot;necessitated because of internal compulsionsquot; and that 87 per cent of the judges had abided by it.

quot;There is no division in the judiciary,quot; he said and denied that his move was aimed at preventing any verdict questioning the legitimacy of his four-month-old regime.

To a question, Musharraf said he would be the quot;last personquot; to impose quot;martial law as such in the terms everyone understands itquot;.

He also refuted reports about some Pakistani army generals being unhappy with his style of functioning, claiming these were part of a disinformation campaign.

He said there was no dissension in the military which quot;is totally united and I am in chargequot; and no truth in reports that Gen Mohd Aziz and Gen Mahmood Ahmed had voiced dissenting notes. quot;These two officers are totally loyal, in fact more loyal to me than I am to myself.quot;

On India scoffing at his decision to withdraw troops from the international border, Gen Musharraf said he had withdrawn two divisions comprising 40,000 personnel from these points.

New Delhi had contended that there had been no withdrawal of Pakistani troops from the LoC and had termed the General8217;s move as an quot;exercise in obfuscationquot;.

Gen Musharraf soght to counter New Delhi8217;s accusation that Pakistan was indulging in sustained anti-India propaganda by stating that Vajpayee, Home Minister L K advani and Defence Minister George Fernandes had made a quot;number of threatsquot; against Pakistan. quot;It needed a lot of restraint from my side not to respond.quot;

About US State Department spokesman James Rubin8217;s remarks that some agencies of the Pakistan government were sponsoring militant outfits like Harkat-ul Mujahideen, he said, quot;the government8217;s involvement in terrorism is totally not there. This is accepted by the US.quot;

The quot;Mujahideenquot;, Gen Musharraf said, had their own dynamics and gave moral support to the so-called quot;freedom strugglequot; in Jamp;K.

Kargil tapes authentic8217;

NEW DELHI: Gen Musharraf has admitted to the authencity of the audio tapes made public by India containing his conversation as Army Chief with his Chief of General Staff on Kargil intrusions but sought to contest New Delhi8217;s assertion that it proves Pakistani Army8217;s involvement in the incursions. New Delhi had presented the controversial tapes in which Gen Musharraf, on a visit to Beijing, spoke to Gen Mohd Aziz in Islamabad about the preparedness and planning relating to the Kargil incursions.

quot;I agree with those tapes totally,quot; Gen Musharraf said. 8220;The tapes are real but there is nothing in it whatsoever to prove or indicate Pakistan8217;s involvement. It was normal dialogue that was going 8230; about our foreign minister who was going to Indiaquot;. He also went on to add that the tapes presented by New Delhi were quot;totally doctoredquot;.