Islamabad: Observing that India and Pakistan would "have to meet somewhere midway" to find a solution to the Kashmir issue, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has, however, made it clear that turning the line of control (LoC) as an international border was not acceptable to his country.

A solution somewhere midway, acceptable to all three (India, Pakistan, Kashmir) could work, he told BBC in an interview.

"I have been talking of a four-step solution. That we start talking first of all, accept the reality of Kashmir, secondly and then eliminate whatever is unacceptable to India, Pakistan and Kashmir," he said.

"And then out of the balance go for a solution acceptable," he said.

He, however, suggested that the idea of the LoC being turned into an international border was unacceptable to Pakistan.

"We have fought wars over this line of control. So a dispute cannot be a solution. Certainly not," he said.

Pakistan's President said that the environment in both countries was conducive to find a solution to the problem.

"The public (in India), the vast majority want peace and harmony with Pakistan and they want a solution of all disputes. I think we have to be bold and go forward."

He claimed Pakistan had issued no instructions to militants in Kashmir. "No orders have been issued at all. They are not under our control."

Musharraf, who recently escaped two assassination attempts, which he blamed on Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network, ruled out suggestions that Kashmiri militant groups were involved.

"This has nothing to do with whatever is happening in Kashmir. Al-Qaeda has nothing to do with Kashmir."

He claimed Pakistani forces had come across members of the group in one of the tribal agencies in the country's North West along the Afghanistan border.

"One of them, the South Wazirstan agency, is the place where we have encountered al-Qaeda. They are on the run and they are hiding (but) are not in communication with each other-they are not in contact with each other. So I don't think that a strategic threat can develop," he said.

Musharraf blamed individual scientists and the world black market for nuclear proliferation and pledged "harsh" punishment for Pakistani scientists who sold secrets to Iran and other countries.

"We will punish them. And we will be very harsh with them because they are enemies of State and they have done something for personal and financial gain," he told BBC.

He said, "some unscrupulous individuals" may have sold nuclear secrets to other countries but said they acted without the knowledge of the Government.

"Within that ambit of that autonomy and security some unscrupulous individuals may have gotten involved," he said, adding they could have acted "unilaterally, without the knowledge" of the then Governments or military chiefs.