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Musharraf wants India to pull back troops from border

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said the situation with India would remain 'grim' until the two countries pulled their troops back from their frontline positions.

Musharraf, on a visit to Saudi Arabia to drum up support for his country in its military standoff with India, said Pakistan would not initiate war but would defend itself, according to remarks published in the Arab News daily on Wednesday.

"The situation will remain grim till we disengage on the borders... so long as the physical presence of the forces continues, the situation will remain grim," Musharraf said after talks with Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah in Jeddah.

Musharraf said he wanted a 'conclusive solution' to the Kashmir 'dispute' with India to 'prevent the reoccurrence of tensions between the two countries', the official Saudi media reported.

"Musharraf asserted that dialogue is the ideal means for solving the Kashmir issue," the Saudi Press Agency reported.

He blamed unidentified 'hardline elements' in India for preventing such a solution, it said quoting remarks by Musharraf to the state-run Saudi Arabian television.

Reuters

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