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India vitiating peace, security in South Asia: Musharraf

In a brief statement made available to mediapersons in Dhaka, the Pakistani military ruler said he would discuss with his Bangladeshi hosts about "the tension caused by the massive build up on the (Indo-Pak) border and ways to defuse it."

"Such consultations facilitate greater understanding and coordination between friendly neighbours like our two countries," he said in the statement.

Musharraf, who arrived in Dhaka on Monday taking an eight-hour route over China to avoid Indian air space, said the prime aim of his three-day visit was to augment bilateral relations.

He is accompanied by a high-level delegation including Commerce Minister Razak Dawood, Information Minister Nisar Memon, Environment Minister Shahida Jamil, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Inam ul Haq and Defence Secretary Lt Gen Hamid Nawaz.

Musharraf is the third Pakistani leader to visit Bangladesh after it liberated itself from Pakistan in 1971.

Musharraf, who is accompanied by his wife Sehba, was received at the airport by acting President Jamiruddin Sarcar and Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.

A 21-gun salute heralded the visit of the first South Asian leader since Zia's election in October.

From the airport, Musharraf drove straight to the national memorial for the dead in the Liberation War and laid a wreath. Formal talks with Zia are slated for Tuesday.

However, in the days preceding the visit, there have been calls in Bangladesh for Pakistan to apologise for alleged atrocities committed during the 1971 Liberation War to break away from Pakistan.

Bitter memories linger in Bangladesh of the bloody nine-month war in which Dhaka estimates at least three million people were killed.

Several student and human rights groups have demanded an apology from Pakistan for the atrocities it committed during the war.

Five left student bodies in a joint statement said Musharraf was 'in service in the Pakistan army during the Liberation War and thus had played an active and direct role in the killings'.

Musharraf will head for Sri Lanka on Wednesday and then to Beijing on August 1 before returning to Pakistan.

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