Friday, February 25 2005 20:39 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: Calling India "our arch enemy", Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf now says that the Kargil war had proved to be a "lesson to the Indians."

The General, widely regarded as the architect of Pakistan's aggression in Kargil from where it was forced to pull back its troops, has expressed the view that the "much-trumpeted" bus journey of the then Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was followed by the "Kargil operation with all its reality and distortions."

"It (Kargil operation) proved a lesson to the Indians and a rude awakening to the world of the reality of Kashmir," he says in a potted autobiography on his newly inaugurated website www.presidentofpakistan.gov.pk.

He described as unfortunate the demise of the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) Government in India after a breakthrough in Indo-Pak ties during Vajpayee's visit to Pakistan last year.

The Vajpayee Government's fall had resulted in a stalemate in bilateral ties but it was fortunately short-lived because Vajpayee's successor Manmohan Singh had taken a "bold decision" to meet him on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.

"The New York joint statement between me and PM Manmohan Singh finally is a quantum leap forward towards resolution of all disputes including the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir. There is light visible at the end of the tunnel," Musharraf says.

Another observation made by Musharraf was that it was a "counter coup" by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to oust him as the Chief of Army while he was travelling home from Colombo.

"I did not launch a coup to take over Pakistan, it was actually a counter coup which handed over the nation to me in a plate. I inherited a Nation at its lowest ready to be declared a "Failed State" a "Defaulted State." Musharraf said staving off the trouble for Pakistan over the proliferation activities of top nuclear scientist A Q Khan was one of his biggest challenges.

"I was confronted with perhaps one of my biggest challenge. The international accusation of Pakistan being a nuclear proliferator. All fingers pointed towards the Nation's scientist hero, Dr A Q Khan.

The Nation loved him but the world saw in him a rogue to be punished.

"I found myself between the devil and the deep sea. I manoeuvred a decision and tried to sell it internationally and domestically with fingers crossed. I succeeded in easing the pressure on Pakistan and moulding domestic public opinion in favour of my action," he said.