ISLAMABAD, Oct 22: President General Pervez Musharraf on Monday said: “India will be paid back in the same coin” if it resorts to any ‘adventurism.’

“We will teach them a lesson if they would try to do any thing against Pakistan,” President Musharraf declared in an interview with PTV in the backdrop of Indian troop and air assets movement on the working boundary and LoC and the rhetoric indulged into by Indian leadership during the last few weeks.

About US role in case India attacks Pakistan, the president said: “We should believe in our own strength and we should not expect others to help us in defending our country.”

Unfortunately, Gen Musharraf said, India is trying to pressurize us by taking advantage of the turmoil in Afghanistan.

“By the grace of God, we have the strength to defend ourselves,” he emphatically stated.

The president said, Pakistan is not a small country and the people who wished of crossing over the LoC and talked of hitting targets, “should not commit this mistake. Else, they will be paid back in the same coin.”

The president suggested that the Indian leadership should stop hurling threats and adopt the path of dialogue. “Indulgence in such a rhetoric would not serve any purpose, as it would rather cause damage to them.”

He asked Indian leadership not to be vary of the fact that Pakistan armed forces are fully capable and prepared to defend the motherland and they should not resort to any adventurism.

“Not only our armed forces are fully prepared to defend the country but we will teach them a lesson if they would do anything,” the president warned.

He said there is freedom struggle going on in Kashmir to which India is trying to project as a propaganda stunt by painting it as a cross border terrorism. “If no locals are involved with this indigenous freedom struggle, could it have continued for the last 10 years,” he said.

Gen. Musharraf said, it is high time for the Indian leadership to realize that there is a freedom struggle going on in Kashmir and they should come forward for political solution of the issue and negotiate it with Pakistan.

Asked how successful has Pakistan been in achieving the four objectives of integrity and solidarity of Pakistan, safety and security of nuclear assets, economic revival, Kashmir cause— the president said: “Joining the international coalition would be beneficial to achieve these objectives.”

Gen Musharraf said that he had taken the decision to join the international coalition in the best national interest “considering all the pros and cons” of the matter.

“We had choice to join or not to join the international coalition in the fight against terrorism. We decided to join the international coalition as it was beneficial to achieve all the four objectives that I have underlined,” he said.

As far as the integrity of Pakistan is concerned, he said, there is a remarkable recognition of Pakistan’s enhanced political and diplomatic stature and status in the world.

About economic revival, the president said, it is not an easy job and there is no quick fix solution in this matter. “We are not running a shop. Let me assure there would be remarkable progress in our economy as the time passes.”

The president said that his ultimate goal was to bring Pakistan out of debt trap, adding: “There will be and there is a definitive progress in this regard.”

The Kashmir cause, he stated would have been a different story had Pakistan not joined the international coalition, keeping in view the developments on Indian side.

“I would like to ask the people who are carrying out processions that with international coalition against us and the Indian developments across the Line of Control, what would be the situation here,” he asked.

“Think of the scenario when international coalition would have been against us with India on their side. But now we have no threat to our strategic assets and they are safe,” he said.

About anti-government processions, the president said that when he met religious scholars, he told them that our decision is not un-Islamic and “we have taken this decision in the best national interest.”

The president said there are few extremist elements who are opposing the government’s policies, but the majority is supportive of the government.

He said, no operation is being conducted from Pakistani territory against Afghanistan. All the operations are being carried out from Gulf or from the Central Asian States. “We are only providing airspace, intelligence sharing and logistic support.”

“There is some misunderstanding about logistic support,” the President said, elaborating that the logistic support is being provided only for search and rescue purposes.

Answering a question on economic revival, the president said he has told US, European and Gulf countries and all the friends in detail about Pakistan’s economic problems, saying: “They want to help us in a big way.”

On debt relief, Gen Musharraf said the government is dealing with the issue of debt trap very seriously. “I am confident that we will come out of the debt trap but it will take sometime.”

He said, Pakistan’s exports would also increase and it would create an opportunity for new industry and resultantly new job opportunities would be there.

Asked does Afghanistan give strategic depth to Pakistan, the president said, these are old theories. After India and Pakistan having become nuclear powers, if anyone perceives that one would try to get some strategic gains, it would be a sheer folly.

“It is not possible now that we will be overrun and will go to Afghanistan for strategic depth,” he said.

About military operation in Afghanistan, Gen Musharraf said, the international coalition is convinced that Osama bin Laden and the organization Al-Qaeda are involved in the acts of terrorism of September 11 and some earlier acts of terrorism, and they also state that Taliban are abetting and supporting them.

He said, keeping in view these things, the military planners had set certain military objectives and they are carrying out operations in Afghanistan to achieve these declared objectives.

On the issue of political dispensation in Afghanistan, President Musharraf said, there are four parameters to solve the problem of Afghanistan.

“The integrity, peace and stability in Afghanistan, a broad based government representing all ethnic groups based on demographic assessment opted by the Afghans themselves without external interference. These are the essentials of the solution, I am suggesting,” he said.

The president further said, Pakistan wants a friendly government in Afghanistan. “If these parameters are not followed and any government would be imposed in Afghanistan, it would be a failure.”

Gen Musharraf said that Afghans are deliberating on these issues and they are planning to hold a convention. The political strategy should be crystallized as early as possible. “If there is any vacuum it should be there to be filled in.”

He said, there are saner elements in Afghanistan and every body including Afghans are witnessing what is happening there. They want an end to their miseries, they have been facing for the last 21 years.

Answering a question, the president said he is not aware of the situation inside Afghanistan whether Taliban remain united or not after military operation. “But everyone wants an end to the miseries the Afghans have faced since long.”

About civilian causalities in Afghanistan, the president said, in such a big military operation the possibility of collateral damage is always there. Though the figures being given from inside Afghanistan are exaggerated but there are civilian casualties. “We regret that and feel sorry about civilian causalities,” he said.—APP