NEW YORK, Sept 16: President Pervez Musharraf said on Friday that he was not so insensitive that he would blame rape victim for exploiting their ordeal, as reported by a US newspaper.

Responding to a Washington Post interview quoting him as saying that some rape victims used their ordeal to get visas to Western countries, the president said: “I am not stupid to make such remarks.”

The interview was published on Tuesday and the same day Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin told a news conference at the United Nations that Mr Musharraf should apologize for making such remarks.

“I stated unequivocally that comments such as that are not acceptable and that violence against women is also a blight that besmirches all humanity,” Martin said.

The president confirmed that Mr Martin did speak to him about his alleged remarks but said the Canadian leader did not ask him to apologize.