Rory McCarthy in Islamabad and John Hooper in Berlin Saturday April 6, 2002 The Guardian
Pakistan's military ruler, General Pervez Musharraf, suddenly raised military tensions with India with a stark warning yesterday that he is prepared to use nuclear weapons in the event of war.
In an interview to be published tomorrow in Germany's Der Spiegel magazine, Gen Musharraf warns that if the pressure on Pakistan becomes too great then "as a last resort, the atom bomb is also possible".
He said India had a "superpower obsession" and was energetically arming itself. Both states tested nuclear weapons in 1998, the first time Pakistan admitted its nuclear capability.
The general's unusually aggressive comments came as he announced plans to hold a referendum in the first week of May to confirm his presidency for the next five years.
"I want the people of Pakistan to tell me if I am required. I need your strength," the general said.
After outlining the actions his regime has taken since the coup in October 1999 the general made it clear that he would remain in overall charge of the country, despite the elections planned for October. The constitution would be amended to support his plans.
"I must carry on leading this country," he told Der Spiegel.
"I am not power hungry but I do not believe in power sharing... I believe in unity of command. There has to be one authority for good government."
He said whoever was elected prime minister in the October polls would have their own powers but would "not dare" change the policies which Gen Musharraf himself began. "There will be authority to govern but to govern well."
But it is his words about nuclear weapons that will cause consternation in New Delhi. Since mid-December the two countries have remained on a full military alert with hundreds of thousands of troops deployed along their borders and diplomatic ties cut to a minimum.
Washington applied heavy pressure on India to stop its military from
launching a punitive strike against Pakistan in retaliation for an attack on the New Delhi parliament, which was blamed on militants based in Pakistan.
Then in a groundbreaking speech in January, Gen Musharraf appeared to appease India by pledging to curb Islamic militancy and to promote a moderate state. In recent days, however, his tone has shifted dramatically.
In another interview earlier this week with The Hindu newspaper, the general said that the military situation on the border was "extremely explosive". With unusually frank language he warned the Indians not to treat his nation "as if we are some kind of scum, a very weak country which cannot handle itself".
"We don't crawl," he said. "We're not going to crawl."
At the same time as adopting the new, aggressive posture Gen Musharraf has allowed Pakistan's courts to free several religious clerics jailed during protests at the start of the US military campaign in Afghanistan. In another sop to the religious right he has discreetly told the state-run Pakistan Television to tone down broadcasts of dancing women.
Some believe Gen Musharraf's softening attitude is aimed at splitting opposition ahead of the October polls.
Meanwhile, Indian officials insist that Pakistan-based militants are still crossing the Line of Control, which divides the disputed state of Kashmir.
A senior Indian commander warned yesterday that militants were still crossing into Indian-run Kashmir. "It is going to be a real hot summer," said Lieutenant-General Jai Yadav. "They are now using night vision goggles to find gaps and infiltrate."
Diplomatic sources in Islamabad say that some militant training camps, which were emptied in January at the time of Gen Musharraf's speech, are now back in use.
· Ten people died in fresh separatist violence in Indian Kashmir, where shops, schools and businesses closed yesterday after a strike call by Muslim rebels protesting against a new anti-terrorism law.