PM calls up Musharraf, looks forward to summit

By C. Raja Mohan

NEW DELHI, JUNE 20. Accepting Gen. Pervez Musharraf as the new Pakistan President, India has signalled that there would be no change in its approach to the Agra summit as a result of the political developments across the border today.

The Foreign Office spokeswoman confirmed that Gen. Musharraf would now be visiting India as the ``President of Pakistan'' and get all the honours due to a visiting head of state.

The Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, called Gen. Musharraf around 10.45 a.m. to say he was ``looking forward'' to meeting the latter and extend a ``warm welcome'' to him in India in about three weeks time.

Having already decided to engage Gen. Musharraf last month, the Government was not going to quibble over the somewhat unceremonious ouster of the former President, Muhammad Rafiq Tarar, by the General.

India had invited Gen. Musharraf as the head of government in Pakistan and he would now be received as the head of state. This would imply only a change in the protocol routine.

There will be 21 guns booming for Gen. Musharraf when he is received here and the President, Mr. K. R. Narayanan, will now be the formal host instead of Mr.Vajpayee. Mr. Narayanan will receive Gen. Musharraf in the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan on July 14.

Although the timing of Gen. Musharraf's takeover could not have been anticipated, it was widely known that he was planning to take over as President and run the country in the forseeable future. The decision to advance the takeover, analysts here say, might have been induced by the open questioning of Gen. Musharraf's legitimacy in travelling to India and negotiating with Mr. Vajpayee.

The assessment in New Delhi that Gen. Musharraf was consolidating his power had clinched the debate within the Government some weeks ago on engaging the Pakistani leader and inviting him.

In his telephone call, Mr. Vajpayee thanked Gen. Musharraf for the good wishes he received from the Pakistani leader on a speedy recovery from his knee operation. The Prime Minister reaffirmed his commitment to hold ``substantive discussions on the entire range of bilateral issues, including Jammu and Kashmir''. Gen. Musharraf said he was coming to India with an ``open mind''.

Informed sources here said the brief conversation between the two leaders this morning was ``very cordial''.

Rebutting the initial reports from Pakistan on the conversation between the two leaders, they said the talk was neither combative nor did it involve any complaints from Gen. Musharraf.

The Foreign Office spokeswoman said Gen. Musharraf expressed the hope that ``both sides will tone down'' the rhetoric that might vitiate the atmosphere before the two leaders meet. Mr. Vajpayee reciprocated the sentiment.

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