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Pak may use nukes in the
event of war: Musharraf

H S Rao in London

Pakistan may use nuclear weapons against India as a last resort in the event of a war, President Pervez Musharraf has said.

"If the pressure on Pakistan becomes too great then as a last resort, the [use of] atom bomb is also possible," the military ruler warned in an interview to be published on Sunday in Germany's Der Spiegel magazine.

A gist of the interview was published in The Guardian newspaper on Saturday.

According to the report in The Guardian, Musharraf said India had a "super-power obsession" and was energetically arming itself.

Both countries 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 extend his presidency for the next five years.

After outlining the actions his regime had 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, he said.

"I must carry on leading this country," Musharraf 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 governance."

But it is his words about nuclear weapons that will cause consternation in New Delhi, the report said. 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.

According to the report, Washington applied heavy pressure on India to stop its military from launching a punitive strike against Pakistan in retaliation for an attack on the Indian Parliament, which was blamed on militants based in Pakistan.

Then in January, 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.

PTI

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