Musharraf hopes to 'change course of history'

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, JUNE 15. The Pakistan military ruler, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, today maintained that his approach of ``open mindedness'' during talks with the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, at their coming summit would be directly ``proportionate'' to the approach of the Indian side.

At the same time he expressed the hope that along with Mr. Vajpayee he would be able to change the course of history. ``I hope my counterpart will cooperate in realising the goal.''

Taking part in a ``face-the-nation'' programme on Pakistan Television, Gen. Musharraf agreed with a questioner that while there had been little progress on the Kashmir issue during past negotiations with India, he was hopeful of ``changing history''.

Anchored by a prominent journalist along with a panel of two well-known journalists, the audience in the studio comprised a number of editors and columnists of Pakistani papers. The 90- minute programme was dominated by questions on the state of the economy, concern on law and order and the growing menace of sectarianism.

The anchor began by pointing out that for the first time in the nation's 53-year-old history, the head of the state had agreed to face the nation through the electronic media.

Gen. Musharraf staunchly defended his Government's performance of the last 18 months. His assertion that the Government had drawn a five-year strategy to get Pakistan out of the debt-trap prompted one of the anchors to ask if it meant he intended to stay in power for five years. The Chief Executive chose to duck the question.

Before going to Delhi he would meet representatives of political parties, Kashmiris and religious groups, the General said adding ``I want to talk to Kashmiris so that they are on board and their rights are protected''. The meetings would be held between June 20 and 30.

Asked about his expectations from the visit, Gen. Musharraf said that given the past experience of relations with India and the unresolved issue of Kashmir, he was travelling to New Delhi with ``cautious optimism''.

New beginning?

``I agree with you that there has been no progress on the Kashmir issue in the past. I hope it would be different this time and hopefully we would change history. If there is cooperation from the other side, we would make a new beginning,'' Gen. Musharraf said when told that from Liaqat Ali to Mr. Nawaz Sharif, Islamabad's experience with India had not been happy.

Asked what he meant by a ``flexible approach'' and how far he was prepared to go, he said no line could be drawn on the expression he had used.

``I suppose the word flexibility is creating confusion. Let me say that my openness of mind in talks with the Indian Prime Minister would be directly proportionate to the openness the other side shows. So it is not possible to clearly lay down the line on flexibility.''

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