'Sharif compromised to get close to Vajpayee'

By Amit Baruah

ISLAMABAD, JUNE 14. The Pakistani Chief Executive, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, has said that Mr. Nawaz Sharif and Mr. A.B. Vajpayee were close because the former Pakistani Prime Minister had put the Kashmir issue on the backburner. In brief remarks published today, the General told the Gulf News that chances of a full- scale war between India and Pakistan were very remote ``because of the strong deterrent capability Pakistan possesses in conventional and non-conventional arms''.

According to the Chief Executive, Pakistan and India should be responsible enough to understand the ground situation. He hoped that the ``other party'' (meaning India) would not take any irresponsible step.

When asked why the Indian Prime Minister was so friendly with Mr. Sharif, the General replied: ``Nawaz Sharif compromised on national interest. I don't. Nawaz Sharif put the Kashmir issue on the backburner and that is what brought him closer to Vajpayee.''

To a question if Mr. Vajpayee owed his re-election to the Kargil issue, he said this could be ``partially true, thanks to the media manipulation which converted a failure and a fiasco into success and triumph''.

``Their (Indian) losses and damages were huge... it is a massive military cover-up,'' the General said about Kargil.

The Chief Executive's remarks came at a time when the former Prime Minister, Mr. Nawaz Sharif, has claimed that Kargil was an ill-planned and ill-conceived operation. Mr. Sharif also said he was in the dark about the operation.

India 'avoiding talks'

Accusing India of ``double insincerity'', the General maintained that India neither wanted to initiate a dialogue nor resolve the Kashmir issue, claiming that Kashmir was an integral part of India.

The visit of the U.S. President, Mr. Bill Clinton, to South Asia, Gen. Musharraf said, ``has not achieved much in lessening the tension, but it certainly has brought Kashmir into focus and highlighted the necessity for a dialogue.''

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