Musharraf won'g renounce use of nuclear weapons

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf today refused to renounce the first use of nuclear weapons, as efforts to bring him together with his Indian counterpart appeared to fail.

Asked to state Pakistan’s nuclear policy and explain why it will not renounce first use of nuclear weapons as India has, Musharraf said, ‘‘The possession of nuclear weapons by any state obviously implies they will be used under some circumstances.’’

He said, however, that it would be irresponsible for a leader to discuss such things, and that Pakistan’s ‘‘deeper policy’’ is for the removal of nuclear weapons from South Asia.

Earlier today at an Asian summit in Almaty, Kazakhstan, India’s Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had said: ‘‘Nuclear powers should not use nuclear blackmail.’’

Yesterday, the Indian Defence Ministry said India ‘‘does not believe in the use of nuclear weapons’’.

This morning, the leaders of India and Pakistan angrily blamed each other for more than five decades of conflict, exchanging stony stares across a table while their troops fired at each other in disputed Kashmir.

Russia and China pressed India and Pakistan to enter face-to-face talks to prevent the conflict exploding into a fourth full-scale war between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

Although the effort failed to bring Musharraf and Vajpayee together for a direct meeting, Musharraf said he had accepted Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invitation for possible further talks in Moscow.

‘‘India is continually threatening Pakistan for an attack and also refusing dialogue,’’ Musharraf said after meeting Putin. He said he did not know whether Vajpayee, who also met Putin shortly afterwards, would come to Moscow for talks at an unspecified date.

‘‘Everyone was desiring a meeting between me and Mr Vajpayee,’’ Musharraf said. ‘‘I think the whole world is disappointed that we two did not talk and meet here.’’

Vajpayee said today that he is willing to have a dialogue with Pakistan, but there must be a halt first to cross-border terrorism, which India says is carried out in its part of Kashmir by Pakistan-based Islamic militants who have been fighting for 12 years.

After meeting both leaders, Putin said they showed ‘‘positive signs’’ and that neither intends to use force to solve their problems.

India had repeated its policy of no first use of nuclear weapons, Putin said earlier, while Musharraf has ‘‘said on the territory of Pakistan there won’t be militants. This is what the whole world eagerly awaited from the two leaders.’’

But with no breakthrough in sight, some of the one million Indian and Pakistani soldiers posted along both sides of the 1,800 mile frontier unleashed fresh artillery and gunfire at each other today.

There were no immediate reports of casualties, but eight civilians died in yesterday’s shelling.

Earlier today, as Musharraf sat about 15ft from the Indian leader at a horseshoe-shaped table, Musharraf insisted his country did not want the conflict to erupt.

‘‘We do not want war. If war is imposed on us, we will defend ourselves with the utmost resolution,’’ he said.

‘‘The people of South Asia continue to pay a heavy price for the refusal by India to resolve the Kashmir dispute in accordance with resolutions of the United Nations and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.’’

In response, Vajpayee rejected Musharraf’s repeated assurance that ‘‘Pakistan will not allow its territory to be used for any terrorist attacks outside or inside its boundaries.’’

Vajpayee said violence in India’s portion of Kashmir and infiltration of Islamic militants from Pakistani territory had not decreased since Musharraf first made that assurance on January 12.

‘‘We have seen in the following months that cross-border infiltration has increased, violence in

Jammu and Kashmir has continued unabated and terrorist camps continue to operate unhindered across our borders,’’ Vajpayee said.

‘‘We have repeatedly said that we are willing to discuss all issues with Pakistan, including Jammu and Kashmir,’’ Vajpayee said of India’s northernmost state. ‘‘But for that, cross-border terrorism has to end.’’

Vajpayee and Musharraf both sat with pursed lips and stony stares as the other spoke. With the 14 other delegates, they signed a declaration condemning ‘‘all forms and manifestations of terrorism’’ and promising ‘‘to strengthen cooperation and dialogue’’.

When delegates mingled and greeted each other as the conference ended, the two stood on opposite sides of the room.

Vajpayee and Musharraf met separately with several of the leaders at the summit, including Putin and Chinese President Jiang Zemin.

‘‘We cannot but be concerned about the explosive situation in the relations between Pakistan and India, which threatens to destabilise the situation in the whole Eurasian continent,’’ Putin said at the summit, adding that world leaders would make every effort to defuse the crisis.

Meanwhile, the US State Department is stepping up its advice to Americans in India and Pakistan to leave the two countries.

New travel warnings due to be issued later today will strongly urge the Americans to depart, a US official said. This is a tougher approach than past statements urging Americans to consider leaving.