General Pervez Musharraf appears extremely confident and relaxed as he prepares for his first encounter with Indian leaders.  He is optimistic about bringing a thaw in the ice-cold relations between the two countries, but at the same time he cautions against exaggerated expectations.  “I am going there with cautious optimism,” he tells a group of journalists at the Army House in Rawalpindi, where he continues to reside, even after assuming the office of president.

            Often described as an architect of the failed Kargil adventure, which pushed India and Pakistan to the brink of yet another full-scale war and derailed the Lahore peace process, General Musharraf now presents himself as a man of peace and conciliation.  He says he is going to Delhi in all sincerity and with an open mind, but at the same time he links normalisation and stability in the region with a solution of the Kashmir dispute.  “If you want to improve relations between the two countries, solving the core issue of Kashmir is a must… other issues are minor irritants.”

            He attributes the failure of past peace initiatives to what he describes as the hackneyed path of sweeping aside the Kashmir issue.  “I hope we will not beat about the bush this time around,” he says.

            His optimism notwithstanding, there does not appear to be any prospect of a major breakthrough on the Kashmir issue in the Delhi meeting, the first at the highest level after a gap of more than two-and-a-half years.  The statement issued by Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh and some other senior Indian leaders stating that Kashmir was an integral part of India clearly shows no visible change in the Indian position.  Many observers believe that the talks may get bogged down if the two sides continue to adhere to their rigid stances.  General Musharraf says he is ready to show flexibility if the Indians are equally open-minded.  “The issue can be resolved in less than a year,” he declares.

            Although General Musharraf denies that he is under any pressure from the hawks, the strain is quite visible as the date of his India trip nears.  The Jamaat-i-Islami and Islamic militant groups have already warned him not to deviate from the single-point agenda of  Kashmir.  Perhaps, he realises that his future is at stake – and dependent on the outcome of this crucial diplomatic mission.  That is probably the reason behind his consultative meetings with political leaders.  “There is a total consensus among us,” he says.  He also discounts any hawk-and-dove division in the ranks.  “Hawks and doves are all united on our policy.”  But the situation is not as simple as he tends to believe.  His admonition of those indulging in religious extremism and militancy has already made him the target of attack by extremist groups.  Many jihadi groups privately express apprehension over his liberal and pragmatic approach.  “He will meet the fate of Nawaz Sharif if he tries to make peace with India,” says a leader of the Hizbul Mujahideen.  However, it is not the extremists alone who are opposed to his Delhi visit; liberal parties like the Pakistan Peoples Party and Muslim League (Nawaz group) are equally disapproving.

            The other pressure Musharraf faces stems from the hype and expectation that has been generated across the region following the announcement of the India trip.  It has revived memories of Mr. Vajpayee’s trip to Lahore in 1999.  Some of the Indian papers have described the impending visit to his birthplace Delhi as that of “a boy returning home.”  General Musharraf is excited at the prospect of visiting his ancestral home in Delhi which he left at the age of four, and catching up on relatives who stayed behind.  “It would be good to meet them.  There will be those whom I have never seen before,” he says in a lighter vein.

            One of General Musharraf’s concerns is that the Indian authorities have not yet agreed to a joint press conference of the two leaders.  “It is very important to hold a joint press conference,” says Musharraf.  Perhaps he feels that this could be his chance to overshadow the aging Indian leader.  His self-confidence apart, General Musharraf has to realise that diplomacy and statesmanship are tougher than the task of being a soldier.  It remains to be seen how the general puts the Kargil misadventure behind him and forges ahead to win the battle for peace.