NEW YORK, Sept 14: President Pervez Musharraf on Friday dubbed the allegation of “nuclear blackmail” by the Indian prime minister as “illogical agitated response,” and termed it a reaction to Pakistan’s proactive policy.

Talking to journalists on Friday night at the end of his week-long visit to the United States, the president said: “It was India that brought forces on to the borders and not Pakistan. We are talking about withdrawal of forces from borders. Are we blackmailing or is it India?”

He asserted that the allegations by Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee were a reaction to Islamabad’s recent proactive policy against New Delhi’s tactics to undermine Pakistan’s position in the region. “They are now upset because of our proactive policy that’s why they are reacting harshly but illogically,” he said.

Gen Musharraf also rejected Atal Behari Vajpayee’s charge that Pakistan was imparting training to the Kashmiris. “They always take shelter behind this notion,” he stated.

“Whatever the Kashmiris are doing, they are doing on their own,” he said.

The president said US President George Bush in his meeting assured him that the United States would remain involved in resolving the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan. Similarly, the UN secretary-general and other leaders whom he met also said the “core issue” of Kashmir should be addressed.

Musharraf said that the US wanted to remain involved in the region to achieve peace and sought a dialogue between India and Pakistan.

However, he said, efforts to make the Indians agree to begin dialogue were going on and “until the Indians agree we cannot move”.

Gen Musharraf said no one had pressed him to stop “cross-border terrorism,” adding that we had assured the international community that there was no cross-border terrorism being initiated by Pakistan and they believed us.

To a question, Gen Musharraf said he held wide-ranging talks with President Bush on all issues including, Afghanistan, Pakistan-India tension, US economic assistance to Pakistan and the problems Pakistanis were facing in getting visas.

“There was no area of disagreement and there was full unanimity of views,” he added.

The president said he also told President Bush about the forthcoming elections and the measures taken to ensure that these would be free, fair and transparent.

To a question about issues confronting the world community, Gen Musharraf said that the Palestine issue was the most vital and crucial, besides Iraq, Afghanistan and Kashmir dispute. “Of course, for us the most important is the Kashmir issue where India and Pakistani forces are amassed at the borders,” he added.

About return of democracy in Pakistan, President Musharraf said he explained in detail the issue of democracy to the American and Pakistani audiences in Boston, Chicago and New York besides holding fruitful talks with the US president.

“We explained the steps taken by us to introduce real democracy in the country and that the October elections would be free and fair where observers from all over the world would be coming to see the results.”

Talking about economic reforms in Pakistan, the president disclosed that at the Asia Society meeting on Friday afternoon an American billionaire George Soros came up to him and said: “I would like to come to Pakistan and invest in the country.”

Asked to confirm reports that he would visit the United States again in November, President Musharraf said he had no such plans.

“After October the new prime minister of Pakistan would have all the executive authority. Let’s see what he does,” he added.

President Musharraf and his delegation left New York on Friday night for Pakistan. The president was seen off at the airport by the Ambassador of Pakistan to Washington, Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, and other senior officials.