ISLAMABAD, Jan 19: President General Pervez Musharraf said on Saturday morning Pakistan did not want war.

“We don’t want war. We want to reduce tension. And we want to de-escalate. This is what we want,” he said, adding that from the other side also there should be similar willingness and assurances.

President Musharraf said this while responding to a question in an exclusive interview with CNN.

For dialogue to start between India and Pakistan, he said: “There must be a desire from both sides.”

Pakistan, he said had been taking “a lot of initiatives,” and now, it was high time that “he (Vajpayee) takes some initiatives, also.”

To a question, he said: “There has to be a desire from Indian side for a dialogue. I can’t say for sure, but since I went to Agra and I met Indian leadership, and I met Prime Minister Vajpayee, my reading, which I still hold, is that there is a desire in Prime Minister Vajpayee, I think, on moving forward on dialogue, having a dialogue with Pakistan. And, also addressing all issues, including Kashmir.”

About his speech of Jan 12, he said, at first the Indian response was very guarded, very cautious. I don’t see much of a change in their response to my speech.

“But I would like to comment on the comments from their side that they are judging what we are doing, and that I have to show more action after this speech. I don’t have to show anything to them, really. I take strong exception to these statements. We are not (to be) judged by them. And I am not doing anything to show them. I am doing something for Pakistan,” he said.

AFGHAN BORDER: He told Tom Montier of the CNN that Pakistan has deployed army all along its border with Afghanistan. “We are very vigilant. Complete sealing of the border is almost impossible. We have sealed all routes, maximum possible routes, specially those coming from Tora Bora region. But, other than that there are innumerable other routes ... Anyone can come across them. It is humanly impossible to seal each and every part of the border.”

He was responding to the question as to how vigilant the troops deployed by Pakistan on the border with Afghanistan were.

NO TOTAL VICTORY: To a question about US-led military action against terrorism in Afghanistan, he said “I think, there has been a victory. But the total victory has not been there. I say, Al Qaeda is on the run. May be some elements are there. But gradually, they will be mopped up, I think. So, also, Mulla Omar’s government has gone. They are killed, they are arrested, or they are on the run, again. When I say they are on the run, I mean they have probably gone back to their respective areas or in hiding and they will go to their areas. They are the forces dissipated. It is not a homogeneous force anymore. So, they are gone. They are finished. The only thing is that their leadership — Mulla Omar and Osama bin Laden — has not been found. So to that extent, I wouldn’t give hundred per cent success.”—APP