NEW DELHI, Jan 7: President Gen Pervez Musharraf has told an Indian TV channel that his army completely supports the peace initiative with India but he also said he was disappointed by the tardy pace of responses to his proposals from New Delhi.

Press Trust of India quoted from the yet to be telecast interview with the newly launched CNN/IBN channel as saying that Gen Musharraf  has also offered to join the fight against militants in Jammu and Kashmir if New Delhi agrees to pull out troops from Srinagar, Kupwara and Baramulla, considered to be the hotbed of militancy.

Quoting from the excerpts of the interview which it said would be telecast on Sunday, PTI said Gen Musharraf was disappointed at the lack of progress in the peace process and complained there was “not much” response from India to the ideas thrown by him for resolution of the Kashmir issue.

“Refuting perception that some of his top commanders do not back his peace initiatives with India, Gen Musharraf said he would “throw out” any corps commander if he declined to obey his orders or opposed them,” PTI said.

“Let me tell you, this is not a banana republic army. It is an army that fought wars. It is an extremely disciplined army. It is totally loyal and committed to me. I know that,” Gen Musharraf said.

Asserting that the Pakistan army backed his policies 1,000 per cent, he termed as nonsense reports in the Pakistani media stating that a “powerful clique of religious parties within the military establishment” worked against him.

“If they were, they would be out of the army tomorrow. I would not be worth my salt, if I am army chief and these people are doing that,” he said.

On the peace process, Gen Musharraf charged the Indian leadership with studiously avoiding responses to his proposals on self-governance and demilitarization, PTI said.

As part of his demilitarization proposals, he said the Indian government should withdraw troops from Srinagar, Kupwara and Baramulla, where militancy has strong roots, and Pakistan would join India to ensure that no incidents of terrorism takes place.

“Let me give another bombshell, I propose, one way of moving forward. Take three towns, Srinagar, Kupwara and Baramulla. Let all the military move out of the cities to the outskirts. It will ensure there is no militancy inside.

“Pakistan will be with the Indian government and Kashmiris to ensure that there will total peace and tranquillity in these three places. Look at the comfort level it brings. It does not need any constitutional amendments or anything like that. It just needs an administrative order,” he said.

“He reiterated his formula to divide the princely Kashmir State of 1947 into seven regions with joint control of some of the disputed regions,” PTI said. Gen Musharraf was quoted as saying: “A degree of disappointment in me is setting in. I am throwing up ideas, but the ideas are not coming from the other direction. Not much of response. That is why the disappointment,” he said.

Singh invited

NEW DELHI: President Musharraf has invited Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Lahore to take the peace initiative forward during the cricket series between Pakistan and India.

In the interview, he said: “I invite him right here and let me say that I invite him to watch any part of the series.”

However, cricket was not the only thing in Gen Musharraf’s agenda. “Now, if he comes here and we do nothing about the peace process, I am afraid we are just wasting our time.”—PPI