Pakistan not isolated: CE

ready for talks with India - F.P. Bureau Report

KARACHI - Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf dismissed as unfounded the impression that Pakistan was facing international isolation in the wake of the October 12 military takeover.

"We have no problem internationally, have cordial ties with China, Turkey and Iran...the Commonwealth has accepted us," the chief executive claimed, reiterating: "Not at all. This is a wrong impression that Pakistan has been isolated. Whether it is the West, the Middle East or China, it is acceptable.

"Your information is wrong," pat came the reply from the general in a brief chat with newsmen here after presiding over a convocation of the Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology.

To another question about the prospects for an early settlement of the Kashmir dispute, Gen. Musharraf reaffirmed that Pakistan was willing for talks, but India was reluctant. "We are ready but there is a problem on the other side."

Earlier, addressing the convocation of the Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology, Musharraf admitted that education had been a neglected sector in the past and his government was trying to come to grips with the illiteracy challenge.

"We have found each and every area of our national life contaminated by massive exploitation and corruption. Corrective steps are now being taken, where necessary, but we do not believe in temporary, stop-gap arrangements," he observed.

The government's remedial measures, he remarked, focused on introducing long-term changes for restoring state institutions to their health. "We have to put things on an even keel to achieve cohesive progress and prosperity."

He called upon the teachers and students to stay abreast of the latest knowledge, particularly in science and technology, to solve our problems in a way consistent with "our own special ethos."