NEWSLINKS
US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

Rediff Shopping

Shop & gift from thousands of products!   Books     Music       Apparel   Jewellery   Flowers   More..      Safe Shopping

Musharraf acknowledges US tilt towards India

Pakistan's military ruler General Pervez Musharraf has admitted that the US priorities regarding South Asia had lately shifted away from Islamabad, but asserted that his country could not be sidelined.

In an interview to a Pakistani daily from New York, General Musharraf said he was "satisfied" with US President Bill Clinton's role on the Kashmir issue.

"India's non-co-operation is preventing any progress on the Kashmir issue," the chief executive of Pakistan told The News daily, adding he hoped Clinton would try to play an important role over the Kashmir issue before his term as the US president expires in January.

Responding to a question, he conceded that US priorities regarding South Asia had changed lately. "It does not mean that they are marginalising Pakistan. Pakistan is located in a very strategic location, which cannot be denied... We cannot be sidelined," he added.

Stating that Pakistan was a "nuclear power of 140 million people" and "sitting in an area between South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East." The military ruler questioned: "Who can deny this geography?"

He said the US had bilateral interests with India, "but that does not mean it will be at the total cost of Pakistan."

Claiming his visit to the United Nations Millennium Summit as an "overall success," he said it provided him an opportunity to tell the world leaders about the Kashmir issue "very strongly."

PTI

ALSO SEE:
When the PM failed to turn up...

rediff.com has assigned Associate Editors Amberish K Diwanji and Savera R Someshwar to cover Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's visit to the United States. Don't forget to log into rediff.com for news of this historic visit as it happens!

Back to top

The Vajpayee Visit: The full coverage

Tell us what you think of this report