Zeenews Bureau

Delhi, Nov 22: In a radical departure from Pakistan’s stated position, Pak President Asif Ali Zardari said on Saturday that he did not favour the use of nuclear weapons at all and Pakistan would certainly not use it first against India. He was speaking at a summit organised by a leading daily thorough video conferencing from Islamabad.

"I am against nuclear warfare altogether, most definitely,” Zardari replied when asked if Pakistan would adopt the policy of no-first-use of nuclear weapons. This is the first time a Pakistani leader has spoken about non-first use of nuclear weapons.

"We do not hope to even get to that position when we have to use (nuclear weapons)," he said while proposing a South Asian non-nuclear treaty.

"I can get my parliament to agree to it right away. Can you (India) get your parliament to agree to it?" he asked.

Better relations

Striking a positive and reconciliatory note, Zardari said that there was a little bit of an Indian in every Pakistani and a little bit of a Pakistani in every Indian. He advocated the coming together of both the countries and said that India should not see Pakistan as a threat.

During the 35-minute interaction, he spoke about his approach of "reconciliation" and belief in "change" to build a cooperative atmosphere with India in trade and other fields.

"Cold war of the previous era kept us (India and Pakistan) divided... Let's embrace each other," he said and expressed hope that the two countries would move and work together in the future.

"We have problems but when we have to look at opportunities and difficulties, we should look at opportunities," he said, adding he was an optimist considering that he had spent several years in prison before reaching the present position.

"Hopefully, we have today a US President who has shown that Americans can think in a different line and the world shall be in a different line tomorrow. We will take the world along and India along to complete the journey started by my wife," he said.

"We are at cross-roads of history. The world is in turmoil. Challenges are to be faced. As my wife had said we have to grow with challenges and we intend to grow with the challenges," he said.

He hoped that India and Pakistan would become an economically unified unit like the EU zone, though he refused to comment on the possibility of a single currency for the two countries.

Resolving problems, Kashmir

He also said that he has approached the Pakistani Parliament for creating a caucus that could go into all the problems between India and Pakistan, and seek ways for cooperation between the two countries.

The caucus would especially look at resolving the Kashmir dispute and the possibility of developing trade between the two countries.

To a question on resolution of Kashmir issue, he suggested that people of India and Pakistan should start a dialogue and discuss this matter together.

Asked as to whom Kashmir belongs to, the Pakistan President replied diplomatically, saying "to the people of Kashmir".

"The PPP government had long followed a hands-off policy towards India and it will continue," he told a questioner who sought to know whether India could expect peaceful elections in Jammu and Kashmir in the remaining phases. Terrorism

To a question by Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh as to whether he could do something to curb terrorism emanating from Pakistan, Zardari said he was himself opposed to terrorism as he had lost his wife Benazir Bhutto to it.

"We are standing in hope and in the light of love," the Pakistan President remarked.

Economy

In a reply to a separate question on the economic situation in Pakistan he said he did not believe in aid but trade for pushing economic recovery in his country and he was looking at the market of a billion people in India and the market in China, among other trade treaties for the recovery of Pakistan’s economy.

Addressing India, he said, "Please, let's open border for trade for mutual benefit. If you can do trade with China, why not with Pakistan."

On the Indo-Pak trade not being in "full swing", Zardari said he himself was looking for a time-frame for it and mooted opening the movie industry first.

Zardari said that borders should be made accessible and favoured issuance of 'e-cards' which could be swiped at the border to enter each other's territory.

Remembering his late wife, Asif Ali Zardari said that he considered his late wife Benazir Bhutto as his leader and drew inspiration from her and her father Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. He said "spiritually, I feel her to be around all the time" and that she guided not only him but others as well.

On participating in anti-piracy operations alongside India, Zardari said Pakistan was a "small country" but would join in the efforts to contribute its "little bit" if asked for.

To question whether he would consider bringing Pakistan’s ex President Pervez Musharraf into government, he said that it was for the parliament to decide whether or not he could be brought into the government. But added that he thought the ex President was having a good time away from office, while he (Zardari) was in jail when Musharraf was in office.

Democracy

Dismissing suggestions that there was a ‘state within a state’ and the government was not in control Zardari said that the roots of Pakistan’s democracy were deep and drew support from the grassroots.

"Democracy (in Pakistan) has travelled a great deal, though it has been only 73 days since the new government came to power," the President said.

He insisted that democracy was strong in Pakistan at grassroots level and added that the world situation was helping the democracy to "flourish".

When referred to the threat by American President-elect Barack Obama that US would use its forces in Pakistan to fight terror, Zardari said it was based on condition that if Pakistani forces did not do enough to combat it themselves.