Zardari on films, peace and politics

If Pakistan's ruling Pakistan Peoples Party leader Asif Ali Zardari had his way, film trade with India would be liberalised tomorrow and people of both countries would be able to cross borders with few restrictions.

"I would open up movie trade tomorrow. I can press a button (on a TV remote) and I can watch an Indian movie but I can't let the Indian movies into (Pakistani) movie halls. How stupid can you get?" said 52-year-old Zardari.

The screening of Indian films has been banned in Pakistan since the 1965 war though Islamabad has allowed a small number of Bollywood movies to be imported over the past two years.

In a wide-ranging interview with PTI, the PPP chairman spoke about the ban on Indian movies, the need to increase people-to-people contacts and ease travel restrictions on citizens of both countries.

"One can rent a DVD (of a Bollywood movie) for Rs 10 or Rs 20 and that is allowed but the movies are not allowed? I can allow all the foreigners to come in (to Pakistan) but I won't allow the Indians to come in," he said.

"What can India do to us? Does India want 180 million Muslim Pakistanis? No," he said with a laugh.

Expressing a certain amount of impatience with the pace of the peace talks between the two countries, Zardari said: "If I had the powers that everybody else has, I would just sit there and say from today, I hereby give a chief executive's order that all you need is a passport and some modern (gadget) because I have to keep my army on board.

"Put a ring around your wrist and walk into Pakistan, so they can monitor through the GPS system (so) that they are not going to any of the (restricted) areas. They're not running away to Afghanistan or the Taliban. Let the people come. Build highways, train stations, roads come and welcome to Pakistan and welcome to India."

Referring to the problems of families that were divided by the partition of India in 1947, Zardari said: "We are playing with the nations and one of these days, somebody will be answerable."

Asked when he would visit India, he replied: "As soon as I can take (coalition ally and PML-N chief) Nawaz Sharif with me. (Yousuf Raza) Gilani sahab is our prime minister, so he walks in front (with all the coalition leaders) and I walk at the end."

Replying to a question on whether he would visit India without Prime Minister Gilani, Zardari said: "Of course I would." He added that he had not "seen an invitation" as yet.

Referring to his relationship with Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her late husband Rajiv Gandhi, Zardari said: "I know Soniaji very well and I am an admirer of Rajiv. Me and Rajiv sahab had a beautiful chemistry together, although we only met thrice. That doesn't mean that you can't make friendship. I think there was an absolute bond between us."

Zardari also said Sonia Gandhi's son Rahul had spoken to him on phone to condole the death of his wife, former premier Benazir Bhutto who was assassinated in December last year.

"He (Rahul) was kind enough to call me for my loss," he said, recalling his wife's last meeting with Sonia Gandhi. "My wife and I were coming from America and Soniaji was getting to America. We bumped into each other at the first class lounge in America. It was our last meeting before she (Benazir Bhutto) passed away."