NEW DELHI, Dec 8: President Gen Pervez Musharraf has defended the killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti, saying there was no way to deal politically with the problem since the Baloch rebel leader had been heading a 6,000-strong militia of heavily armed men.

In an interview to India's NDTV recently, Gen Musharraf described Mr Bugti as an anti-national and himself as a patriot who loved his country. NDTV showed on Friday what it said was the entire interview it recently had with Gen Musharraf.

In any case, the death of five army officers in the incident indicated they did not plan to kill him but were probably seeking his surrender when a blast occurred in the cave where Mr Bugti had sought shelter, he said.

One of the points that came out from Friday's accounts is that Gen Musharraf sleeps well and is not obsessively worried for his life. "What is the worst that can happen to me? I always believe in analysing the worst. And can I face it. Yes, I can face it," the president said.

Asked what is the `worst’ that could happen to him, he said: "Why talk about the worst? I can face everything. So I am not at all (afraid). I don't think of it.

"Let me honestly say, sometimes I do (worry). But not at all the way you are thinking that I am worried. When I put my head on the pillow... off... I sleep. I am a very comfortable sleeper. I know that. Since the people are with me and the people like me and I know that, what can happen to me? I can face anything."

What about his family? Aren't they worried, he was asked. “Yes,” he replied. "Some in the family."