Islamabad: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on October 2 said Pakistan was not "desperate" to hold talks with India but at the same time hoped that US would step in to facilitate the dialogue and help Pakistan to acquire modern weapons to maintain military balance.

"We are not desperate (for talks). New Delhi should come forward to start the talks process", he said while inaugurating Pindi Bhattian-Faisalabad Motorway near Rawalpindi.

He said Washington fully appreciated the situation between India and Pakistan and hoped it would help facilitate initiation of the dialogue process between Pakistan and India.

He also expressed the hope that Pakistan would get Defence equipment from the United States, to maintain a conventional arms balance between India and Pakistan.

"We have briefed the US leadership about Pakistan's Defence requirement," he said referring to his recent meeting with President George Bush on the sidelines of United Nations General Assembly.

He hoped that Pakistan would get Defence equipment from the United States, after approval by the US Congress.

On the Kashmir issue, he said he raised it at the United Nations and informed the world leaders and US President George Bush that Islamabad wants a dialogue process to start.

"Our stand is very clear on Kashmir, we want to resolve it peacefully," he said and regretted that India’s response was negative.

About reaching an understanding with the Opposition to end the stalemate over his Presidency and constitutional amendments, he said insistence by Opposition that he should quit as Chief of Army was no longer an issue as he accepted it in-principle. He however declined to give a date by which he would quit the post.

Musharraf said he fully appreciates the argument that he should not hold the offices of the President and the Chief of the Army Staff simultaneously "longer than required".

But he added the matter of when he would quit as Army Chief, should be left for him to decide.

Asked how the nation was benefiting from the increase in foreign exchange reserves that have crossed an unprecedented level of $ 11 billion, he said, "It is a misnomer that common people are not benefiting from these Reserves."

The rise in forex reserves have given a boost to industrial activities in sectors like cement, textile, engineering. "It means the factories are working and people are getting jobs," he said.

PTI