NEW DELHI, July 24 Former president Gen Pervez Musharraf has claimed that his dismissal of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry in March 2007 was the right thing to do and its negative fallout was the result of mishandling of the affair by his zealous subordinates.

In a wide-ranging interview on Indias CNN-IBN, to be telecast on Sunday, he said the slain leader Ms Benazir Bhutto should not have returned prematurely to Pakistan and that had she waited a bit longer, according to an understanding with him, she would be alive today, probably as the prime minister of the country, with him as president.

Gen Musharraf, appearing in CNN-IBN's programme The Devil's Advocate, reaffirmed his belief that the Kargil standoff with India had helped bring New Delhi to the table to negotiate the Kashmir dispute with Pakistan.

On his controversial dismissal of the Supreme Court's head, he said “What happened after that was bad. It led to a lot of turmoil in Pakistan. Certainly. But if you say it was a mistake - No. I took action which was absolutely constitutional and legal.”

He implicitly blamed unnamed officials for the ensuing street protests. “Yes. The handling, I would say, was shabby. Certainly. Handling of the Chief Justice was shabby.” Gen Musharraf, however, absolved himself of any responsibility for the outcome.

“I don't blame myself because I don't get into the nitty-gritty of which Deputy Superintendent of Police was rude to him, some cars were taken (away) or something of that sort. Now I am not passing such orders at all.”

Gen Musharraf acknowledged, perhaps for the first time, that he had an understanding with the late former prime minister that facilitated her return to Pakistan in October 2007.

“There was an understanding. I did talk to her, yes. I had been talking to her twice. She was not supposed to come back before the elections.”

Had she not broken her agreement by returning earlier than he had proposed, Ms Bhutto would be alive. “I think so. I think so. Absolutely. She would have lived...I think I would have been (president). Yes ... if she did get elected and she did become prime minister I would have continued as the president. Because I was elected by the (then) Parliament. So that would have continued.”

Asked if he stepped down voluntarily or was forced to quit as president, Gen Musharraf said “A combination. The environment had become such that remaining a rubber-stamp President with nothing to do literally was absolutely counterproductive and the political situation was evolving in a manner that my continuation was amiss, was purposeless...I took my own decision, yes, to leave.”

He said he would face any charges against him in court and denied any knowledge of an indemnity deal to overlook his alleged excesses.

“One has to face realities on (the) ground and I will face them. I am not a man who runs away from realities. Let them bring law suits and (try to) prove anything against me.”

Politics in Pakistan had become complicated and the situation fragile after his exit. “A lot of complications (are there) - political, economic and law and order.” When Gen Musharraf was asked if the successor government of President Asif Ali Zardari was weaker than his own, he replied “Certainly, yes. I think at this moment, yes.”

He said the rivalry between Mr Nawaz Sharif and President Zardari was “destabilising” and distracting attention from what he called “the greatest danger” -- the fight against terrorism and extremism. Gen Musharraf was asked if he thought the time was ripe for a military takeover. He said he could not and would not comment.

“(The) army has to ensure the integrity, territorial integrity and security, of Pakistan. So it's entirely the army's decision and the Chief's decision. But (so far) they go along with the government. I don't want to comment. These are sensitive issues.” Gen Musharraf said the Krgil standoff had given Pakistan the upper hand over India. “The military situation certainly was very favourable, it was not supposedly favourable. Because if we are talking of India-Pakistan, Indians had moved all their forces against Kargil and there was weakness elsewhere. So we knew what the Indian forces are capable and what we are capable. I gave all that impression (to Prime Minister Sharif).” Kargil was a big success because it had impact even on the attitudes on the Indian side.

“How did we start discussing the Kashmir dispute? How was it that the Indians came that we will discuss Kashmir and there must be a negotiated settlement? Before this there was no such thing at all. Kashmir couldn't be spoken. Kashmir must not be mentioned even in United Nation speeches by our leaders. So this was the Indian stand. How did India come on the negotiating table on Kashmir?”