PM happy with Musharraf advice

By Arunkumar Bhatt

MUMBAI, JUNE 6. The Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, today said the Pakistani military ruler, Gen. Pervez Musharraf's speech on Tuesday advising the Islamic clergy in his country to stop making irresponsible statements against India, had generated much goodwill here.

Speaking to reporters at the Chhatrapati Shivaji airport here shortly after arriving from New Delhi, Mr. Vajpayee said India had always held that stoppage of hostile propaganda was the first step towards friendship. ``In India we take care to see that nobody says or writes anything about neighbours that could create ill feelings and now we are glad Pakistan also has taken such a step.'' However, he would like to read the full text of speech.

Earlier, he was received by the Governor, Dr. P.C. Alexander, and the Chief Minister, Mr. Vilasrao Deshmukh. The Prime Minister then left for the Breach Candy hospital where famous specialist, Dr. Chittaranjan Ranawat, will operate on his right knee tomorrow.

Denying that India was deviating from its earlier position on talks with Pakistan, he stressed that New Delhi had never said it would not hold talks. All issues including Jammu and Kashmir would be discussed in detail during the visit of Gen. Musharraf and the talks would be within the framework of the Shimla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration.

Asked how he felt about the talks in view of the Kargil conflict, Mr. Vajpayee said, ``we had met on the battlefield earlier and now we will meet in the dwelling of peace.'' He avoided comment on the suggestion that the existing Line of Control be recognised as the international border between the two countries, except saying ``India has already made its stand clear.''

Clarification on Nepal

The Prime Minister clarified that he had given ``no certificate to anybody'' on the happenings in Nepal and expressed confidence that the probe ordered by Kathmandu would reveal the truth about the massacre. ``I did not make any hasty statement that there was no conspiracy. I was asked in Bhuj if I saw any conspiracy. I said I did not see any conspiracy from here (in Bhuj). In fact, those who commented on this were doing so in haste,'' he said.

On the suggestion that the Centre buy the power supplied by the Enron-sponsored Dabhol Power Company that Maharashtra cannot afford as a possible solution to the current imbroglio, the Prime Minister said the nation also had the same trouble in buying expensive power. He was confident the State Government and Enron would sort out the issue.

He regretted not being able to bring about the meeting of the Chief Ministers of Maharashtra and Karnataka to settle the border dispute between the two States and said he hoped to do something in the matter. His view on the initiation of legal action against those indicted by the Srikrishna Commission was that the law should take its own course.

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