In his maiden speech to 152 heads of state and government, the chief executive said he was prepared
for a dialogue with India "at any level, at any time and anywhere. Let me commit at this world forum
that we desire a no-war pact; we are ready for a mutual reduction of forces and we also seek a South
Asia free from all nuclear weapons," Gen Musharraf said.

His five-minute speech covered the Kashmir dispute in detail but he also assured the international
community that his regime was "sincerely committed to rebuilding and strengthening the institutions of
state to give the country a genuine and durable democracy."

"Pakistan remains conscious of international concern for democracy," he said. "Our founding father
Quaid-i-Azam envisioned Pakistan as a modern Islamic state, committed to democracy based on
equality, freedom and social justice. The people of Pakistan have never lost faith in democracy, but
autocracy in the garb of democracy led to dishonest governance and the collapse of institutions."

He said Kashmir and Palestine were two prime examples of festering disputes where the UN charter
had been defied. "Whereas the international community is seriously engaged in finding a solution to
Palestine, Kashmir cries for justice even after 52 years," he pointed out.

He said South Asia was deprived of economic progress because Kashmiri people remained deprived
of justice. "The consequence of this injustice has been four wars, the region stands heavily militarized
and nuclearized."

The CE clarified that this situation was not to his country's making. "We have been obliged to respond
to the compulsions of our security and have merely acted in self-defence."

He stressed that Kashmir had to be resolved as 10 million people cannot be denied their fundamental
right to self-determination. "The savage brutalities and killing of 70,000 people by 700,000 troops
have only hardened their resolve. They seek honoring of the pledges made by the UN. If the people
of East Timor can be given their freedom, why not people of Kashmir? When one party is intransigent
in rejecting the use of peaceful means, the Security Council is empowered to act. The problem lies not
in the UN charter but in the lack of political will. Until we produce that will, all talk of crisis prevention
and dispute resolution will ring hollow."

Gen Musharraf also spoke about corruption in Pakistan and attacked the western countries in tough
words for what he called "encouraging corruption. We have heard long lectures on democracy from
countries which have laws that actually encourage corruption by giving ready asylum to plunderers and
facilities for concealment of illicit wealth in secret accounts in their banks," the CE said.