Peace process: Musharraf seeks Vajpayee's help

In the backdrop of a war of words between India and Pakistan, Pakistan President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Monday night spoke to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and urged him to help further the peace process between the two countries.

Musharraf, busy in grappling with a major bomb blast at a Karachi mosque on Monday evening, expressed his deep appreciation to the former Indian prime minister for his attempts to resolve the outstanding issues between the two countries, Pakistan's Information Minister Sheikh Rashid told PTI in Islamabad.

During the 15-minute conversation, the two leaders stressed that the peace process must be carried forward, sources close to Vajpayee said in Delhi.

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They strongly felt that the atmosphere created in the recent past to carry forward the dialogue process should be maintained and unnecessary statements avoided; and the confidence-building measures, initiated by India and Pakistan in the past few months, should be carried forward and strengthened.

Musharraf told Vajpayee to use his experience for the good of people of India as well as for the betterment of relations between India and Pakistan. The two had established a rapport and Musharraf refrained from criticising Vajpayee even when relations between the two countries deteriorated after the attack on Parliament in December 2001.

Musharraf has already spoken to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh soon after the latter assumed office and later to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and invited her to visit Pakistan.