Pakistan's president left Sunday for the United States where he will attend the U.N. General Assembly and hold talks on the sidelines with U.S. President George W. Bush. Gen. Pervez Musharraf was seen off at an air base near the capital Islamabad by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and other senior government officials. Foreign Minister Khursheed Kasuri was traveling with Musharraf. Musharraf was to arrive in New York on Monday for the Sept. 14-16 U.N. meeting, a Foreign Ministry statement said, adding that he is to meet with Bush, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and leaders from China and several Muslim states. No dates were given. Musharraf told reporters at the airport that he and Bush will discuss the moves toward the creation of a Palestinian state, Kashmir, bilateral relations and the fight against terrorism. Musharraf has made his country a key ally in Washington's war on terror. In return, Bush has promised military and civilian assistance. Musharraf said the meeting with Singh would focus on Kashmir, a Himalayan region claimed by both countries. "I want to promote the cause of peace, resolution of disputes, especially the Kashmir dispute," Musharraf said. In an interview with The Associated Press on Friday, Musharraf said hopes were high in both India and Pakistan for the issue to be resolved. While in New York, Musharraf is also expected to speak at an interfaith conference organized by the Council for World Jewry. He said his address will lend strength "to the cause of establishment of an independent Palestinian state."
