Islamabad: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has accused India of playing "dangerous" games in Pakistan, Kashmir and Afghanistan, which could provoke Pakistani retaliation and raise the spectre of a nuclear conflict.

"They must know that we can retaliate in a big way and they should know that," an agitated Musharraf told a Canadian newspaper 'Toronto Star' in an interview published on September 20.

"They (Indians) should never presume that they can do things and they can go unchecked," he said, adding that the "risk of full-fledged conflict with India can never be ruled out on South Asia".

He, however, denied that Pakistan planning nuclear war against India. "No sane person can ever sit and plan that there will be a nuclear confrontation… We must never even think of that," he said in his characteristic blow hot, blow cold style.

"However, what is dangerous is whether there will be a conflict between India and Pakistan, which can then lead on to a nuclear exchange," he said in the interview, published ahead of Musharraf's visit to Canada on September 25.

Musharraf also warned that Islamic extremists were perverting their faith by waging reckless holy wars across the globe. He accused religious militants of "violating Islamic tenets" and called on fellow Muslims at the highest level to renounce terrorist acts perpetrated in the name of their religion.

"The extremists have taken it upon themselves to declare 'jihad' all around the world, and this is not their responsibility…it will be total chaos…if every second man can get up and start calling for 'jihad'," he said.

He admitted that Osama bin Laden may be flitting back and forth along the porous Pakistani border, but insisted that his Army was doing everything in its power to track him down.

"From the dress that he's wearing, I draw the conclusion that he could be crossing borders on both sides. Because this is a dress which is typical Pathan dress," he observed. "On both sides (of the border) similar caps and dress are worn. So therefore I think the possibility of his switching from this side to the other is there."

Musharraf insisted that his Army is doing everything in its power to track down bin Laden and al-Qaida operatives. "The perceptions around the world, unfortunately, are turning out as if everything is happening from Pakistan. My concern is this: This is absolutely wrong. It's very easy, it has become a good practice to blame Pakistan," Musharraf said.

In fact, Pakistan has been gathering intelligence, particularly in the tribal areas where the Army had never before ventured, he said. "We are seeing things from the air, we will know targets, we will know where these people are, and we will certainly act."

Musharraf also dismissed criticism from Afghan President Hamid Karzai that Pakistan was not cracking down hard on al-Qaida and Taleban fighters. Instead, he argued that much of the fault lies with Afghanistan's unstable political climate.

PTI