ISLAMABAD, Feb 9: Former prime minister and chairperson of Pakistan People's Party, Benazir Bhutto, has said Gen Musharraf is using Pakistan's importance to the United States in Afghanistan to further his own dictatorship and at the cost of human and democratic rights of the people of Pakistan.

According to a message received here by the PPP media cell, she was speaking at the Woodrow Wilson Centre, Washington DC on Monday. Addressing a cross-section of leaders of public opinion at the Centre, the former prime minister said she had serious doubts over Gen Musharraf's ability to normalize relations with India and create peace in the region.

"We do not believe that Gen Musharraf has a vision for peace. He is a tactical leader, who is engaged in short-term somersaults. His action are to relieve momentary pressures. As soon as the pressure is off, he goes back to his basic nature.

This is true of his actions relating to India, Taliban, the banning of militant groups and the regulations of political Madressahs." Giving details about the efforts of Pakistan People's Party for peace, she said it was the PPP, which made breakthrough on Siachin during Indo-Pak talks in 1989.

The PPP is the architect of the policy of soft borders on the disputed territories enunciated in 1999, she said, and added that this flowed from a policy review undertaken after the Indo-Pak nuclear detonations of 1998.

The former prime minister said the PPP in 2001 became first party in Pakistan to call for a ban on militant groups like Lashkar-i-Tayyaba and Jaish-i-Mohammad.

"Musharraf now adopts our policies but on the ground his old policies are in place". Ms Bhutto said as prime minister she signed with prime minister Rajiv Gandhi the nuclear confidence building treaty in 1988, a treaty committing both not to attack each others' respective nuclear facilities.

"It was the most important peace accords between us since the Simla Agreements signed in 1972. We were also able to establish hot lines between the General headquarters of both the countries modelled after the Hotline between Washington and the Kremlin".

She said these confidence building measures were important to moving the cause of peace and facing the challenge of differing perceptions on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir.

Ms Benazir said other countries also had different point of views on issues but live in peace. She gave the example of China and India, which she said had a border dispute yet did not threaten each other with war and in fact, relations between them were improving.

"We can learn from such models of conflict management. Progress can help build stronger economic ties. She said dictator and the terrorists both opposed her leadership and the policies of her party because of her liberal and progressive stance.