Kashmir is bilateral issue: Musharraf

New Delhi, Mar 9 (UNI) Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has ruled out any third party mediation in Jammu and Kashmir saying it was a bilateral matter.

In an interview with CNN-IBN, the Pakistan President said ''whether it will facilitate or encourage. It is one and the same thing. We are into bilateral dialogue and we don't want to make it tri-lateral or multi-lateral.'' About the recent nuclear agreement between India and the US, President Musharraf said there was no need for such an agreement between US and Pakistan.

Asserting that there was a need to change the Indo-centric approach within Pakistan, he said ''they (India-US) are in nuclear strategic relationship and we know against whom it is directed. It (Nuclear agreement) has certain implications, like opening out the nuclear establishments. We have no desire of such nuclear co-operation.'' About the Indo-Pak peace process, Gen Musharraf said that although Confidence-Building Measures were in place, there was a need to broaden the process now.

''CBMs are doing well but I believe in a two track effort, that is the conflict resolution part, which is not doing well.'' He reiterated the need to broaden the process of the Composite Dialogue Process to the next level and said that he had invited Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to visit Pakistan and he had accepted the invitation.

While maintaining that strategic interests of Pakistan were on top of the agenda during his recent talks with President Bush, along with the return of democracy, President Musharraf said the issue of terrorism and the recent strains in Pak-Afghan relations was also discussed with President Bush.

On the question of 2007 elections and his promise of relinquishing the post of the Army chief and facing the elections without uniform, Gen Musharraf said ''lets wait till 2007. All options are there. I will follow the constitution and whatever I have done is democratic and according to constitution. My being in uniform as a President is through a democratic process ...come 2007, we will look at the details.'' UNI RB VD RK2011