Musharraf Pakistan's biggest leader: Vajpayee

Describing President Pervez Musharraf as Pakistan's 'biggest leader', Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Saturday said he was someone India could talk to and hoped that he would come forward to improve relations between the two countries.

"Hum samajhthe hain ki Musharraf sahib ke saath hamari baatcheet ho sakti hai (I think there could be talks with Musharraf)," Vajpayee said in an interview to state-owned Pakistan television, which was telecast minutes after he arrived in Islamabad to a red carpet welcome to attend the three-day SAARC summit beginning Sunday.

Vajpayee was replying to a question on his perceptions about President Musharraf and whether he found him flexible enough.

"Baatcheet kis nateeje par le jayegi, ye bhi hamko ummeed hain (we know in which direction the talks will go)," he said.

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Observing that he had met Musharraf at Lahore when there was another regime in power in Pakistan, he said, "We have been continuously talking to each other, knowing each other."

"He (Musharraf) is the biggest leader of Pakistan. We want that in improving bilateral relations, he will come forward and take part. I am hopeful that the attempt will be successful," he said.

The prime minister said if Musharraf considers him (Vajpayee) as a 'man of peace', the Pakistani leader was not wrong.

"I have been working for peace all along and will continue to do so in future," he said.

Observing that he had come to Pakistan for the first time over 25 years back as foreign minister, Vajpayee said since then 'much water has passed in the rivers'.

Asked when flexibility was being shown by both sides, what was the missing link in normalisation of Indo-Pak ties, he said, "It is natural that time is needed to move forward. Continuous talks should be held. We never shied away from talking about Jammu and Kashmir problem. Our stand, which is the right one is that J&K is a part of India but we are ready to have open talks on it."

Noting that substantive talks have not been held on the Kashmir issue, Vajpayee said both Pakistan and India have been reiterating their positions.

But the world is saying that the two countries should move together and resolve their differences. "It will take time," he said.

To a question that his visit to China had led to India making 'sweeping change' in its stand on Tibet and whether such a possibility existed on this trip to Pakistan, the prime minister said, "We also want this. How far this is realised, we have to see."

Vajpayee said it was in the interest of both countries to live as friends. This was also in the interest of the region and the world, he said.