Beijing: Asserting that Pakistan will "deal" with India on the basis of "sovereign equality," President Pervez Musharraf today (November 4) accused it of being not sincere to take up the Kashmir issue which he said cannot be allowed to be "sidelined."

"We want to develop peaceful relations with India. We want to have a composite dialogue with them," Musharraf, who is on a three-day official visit to China, said in a speech to students and teachers of the prestigious Peking University in Beijing.

Maintaining that Kashmir "cannot be allowed to be sidelined," he, however, said that India lacked "the sincerity to take up the issue."

Speaking a day after Chinese President Hu Jintao appealed for "reconciliation" between Pakistan and India, Musharraf claimed longstanding conflicts and disputes, in particular Palestine and Kashmir, remain "potentially explosive."

"The two disputes are a legacy of colonialism. These disputes must be resolved on the basis of respect for the wishes of the people involved," he said, indirectly referring to his demand for a plebiscite in Kashmir.

He asserted that Pakistan would "deal with India on the basis of sovereign equality" and said "we cannot be coerced and we will guard our honour and dignity very zealously."

Rejecting all forms of terrorism, Musharraf said international terrorism must be curbed in all its forms whether carried out by individuals, groups or sponsored by states.

"We have to fight this war with vision and understanding," Musharraf said, a day after he assured his Chinese host that Pakistan will not allow 'east Turkistan' separatists any assistance in conducting anti- China activities from Pakistani soil.

"Who is a terrorist?" Musharraf asked the audience and went on to offer his own definition of a 'terrorist'. "Any killer is an extremist. If we stop here we would be addressing symptoms only. If we take a step forward, the issue of right and wrong emerges. In conflicts, issue of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution implementation comes in," he said.

"Individual killer is an extremist but state may be the terrorist. Both are wrong and must be stopped," he said.

PTI