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CNN Saturday Morning News

Musharraf Confirms Moving Troops From Afghan Border

Aired June 01, 2002 - 08:01   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: To our top story now, the rising tensions between India and Pakistan. The U.N. has called for evacuation of its staff as the threat of war builds between the two nuclear neighbors.

CNN's Tom Mintier is monitoring the situation in Islamabad. He joins us now by video phone with his exclusive interview with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf -- Tom.

TOM MINTIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, in the interview we learned several things that confirmed a lot of stories that have been around for the last few days. First and foremost, that Pakistan had, indeed, moved some of its troops from its western border on Afghanistan's side and moved them towards Kashmir and India. Secondly, that there were threats against Pervez Musharraf's life. And third, that their nuclear assets haven't changed, the status of them haven't changed. They haven't been moved forward. They haven't basically really told us anything about them.

The president saying in the interview that discussing nuclear assets or nuclear weapons, he feels, is irresponsible.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, PAKISTAN: I don't think either side is that irresponsible to go to that limit. I would even go to the extent of saying one shouldn't even be discussing these things because any sane individual cannot even think of going into this unconventional more, whatever the pressures.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MINTIER: It was an interview that lasted nearly a half hour. He was very, very easy to talk to. He wanted to have a few things to say before he goes off to a summit next week in Kazakhstan.

Now, getting India and Pakistan together talking face to face is something that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to do, but so far there's no indication that India is interested in this.

Now, in talking to President Musharraf, he discussed his contention that those who had been crossing over into the line of control are doing so on their own, not with the permission of the Pakistani government. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MUSHARRAF: We have called for much bigger than that, a bigger policy than that. We've called for a no war pact, that there shouldn't be any war. We have called for denuclearization of South Asia. So -- we've called for a reduction of forces. So what we are saying is much higher and much bigger than what India is proposing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MINTIER: What President Musharraf is talking about was the promise of no first use of nuclear weapons. India has such a policy, Pakistan does not. But he says his policy goes even much further than a declaration of no first use. It was, indeed, a very interesting and engaging interview, one that was seen here earlier on CNN in its full entirety -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Tom Mintier live from Islamabad.

Thanks, Tom.

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