Jamali hopes to meet Vajpayee in NY

"This will clear up roadblocks on the way to durable peace between the two countries," he said in a two-hour long interview with the paper.

He said he had no reservations about meeting Vajpayee anywhere in the world.

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It was rumoured earlier that Jamali and Vajpayee would meet before the SAARC Summit to be held here from January 4-6, 2004.

Rejecting Indian Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani's view that New Delhi would hold talks with President Pervez Musharraf only "since he is politically and administratively the most powerful individual in Pakistan", Jamali said, "in democracies dialogues were held between prime ministers."

"I know my constitutional parameters and my limitations, but I want this system to continue. I believe in democracy," he said adding that the forthcoming summit between the two countries could help move the peace process forward.

Defending Musharraf, Jamali said, "Musharraf had fulfilled all promises he made during the last three and a half years. Musharraf would also fulfill his promise to leave one post once this transition period was over." The Pakistani Preisdent is also the country's army chief.

Agreeing to the general impression that Musharraf was "all encompassing" in the current system he said, "it had been happening in the past when the country limped back from military rule to civilian set up."