Islamabad: Stressing that the peace process between India and Pakistan has to move
forward, President Pervez Musharraf has said he supported the response given by
Premier Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali to his Indian counterpart Atal Behari Vajpayee's
offer of a hand of friendship.
"I'll support whatever decision the Prime Minister would take. This process (of
peace) has to move forward," he told reporters in Lahore on April 21.
When asked about his own response to Vajpayee's offer, Musharraf said Jamali has
already welcomed it.
About the speculation that US might target Pakistan after Iraq, Musharraf got
irritated and dismissed it as "nonsense", media in Islamabad reported on April 22.
"Those who say such things are not sincere. They should be ashamed of themselves.
Pakistan is an important part of the Ummah (Muslim world) and a strategic ally of
others. Those uttering such rubbish are not aware of our geo-strategic location.
Pakistan will never be targeted (by anyone)."
Pakistan's hard-line religious parties speculated that the country could be emerging
as next target of US, fearing that Washington might turn its attention to Pakistan
to stem the strength of Islamic parties and control Islamabad's nuclear weapons from
falling into extremists' hands.
PTI
