New York: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said that he has asked American President George W Bush during their meeting to facilitate dialogue with India but said he was not keen to meet Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee if the latter does not so desire.

He, however, did not elaborate on his proposal to Bush nor give the US President's reaction to it.

Addressing a press conference shortly after meeting with Bush, he rejected the allegation that he had not done enough to stop cross-border terrorism and infiltration of terrorists into Kashmir and said, "(Prime Minister Atal Bihari) Vajpayee should stop making such accusation."

Nobody in the world, he asserted, could guarantee the total security of the borders. "India's 700,000 troops in Kashmir have failed to seal border, how could Pakistan's 60,000 troops do so," Musharraf asked.

His statements at his meeting with reporters were on the lines of his address to the United Nations General Assembly only three hours earlier.

Accusing India of acquiring weapons, both conventional and non-conventional, to tilt balance in its favour, Musharraf said he is following a strategy of deterrence to ensure safety of Pakistan and that India does not attack. He had discussed this with Bush and in this context, the issue of Pakistan desiring to acquire F-16 warplanes.

PTI