Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, on a visit to the US, on Wednesday put forth a four-point plan for peace in the Indian subcontinent.

Speaking at the US Institute of Peace on Wednesday, Musharraf, who has said he would like a Middle East-style US 'roadmap' for Kashmir, almost went ballistic when asked why India and Pakistan can't live in peace as neighbours ratifying the Line of Control as a permanent border.

In a ridiculing tone, Musharraf said, "We have fought three wars on the LoC and you are proposing a solution which is the dispute itself. How can a dispute be a solution? Just forget it."

Musharraf then went on to explain his four-point proposal for peace in the subcontinent, which he shad articulated earlier too, in his lengthy address to an audience of nearly 1,000 people.

"Step one: start talking to one another. We are not talking. We need to talk. We don't even play cricket with each other," he said to loud laughter.

"Two: accept Kashmir as the issue which needs to be resolved for peace and harmony between India and Pakistan."

"Lots of people say other issues need to be resolved. I would like to ask what are the other issues between India and Pakistan. I don't think anybody knows what the other issues are."

"Therefore," he said, "the Kashmir dispute must be addressed in order to have peace between India and Pakistan. We should accept this reality."

Third step "is the process of elimination - eliminate whatever is unacceptable to India, whatever is unacceptable to Pakistan and whatever is unacceptable to the people of Kashmir."

The fourth step, which he described as the most difficult step, is 'of the 10-12 solutions proposed by people around the world, take one which is a win-win situation for India, and for the people of Kashmir'.

"I believe this is the only way forward. I have long expressed my readiness for dialogue at any level, time and place. We do not accept pre-conditions, but have addressed the expressed concerns of India as much as possible," Musharraf said.

"These need to be reciprocated for a peace process to get underway. But if instead of a peace process, India insists on the permanence of an unjust status quo in Kashmir when this status quo has been a problem from the very outset, then it would be creating obstacles to a peace process rather than facilitating it."

"We do not believe in violence as a means to peace. But we know militancy is often a response to state terrorism, state repression and a refusal to countenance peaceful political means of protest on behalf of rights that have been denied."

"We realise our stake in better relations with India. If India can adopt a similar attitude towards relations with Pakistan then our efforts to resolve our differences on Kashmir and other issues need no longer tread the barren paths of the past," he said.

"Despite the many disappointments and differences of the past, the prime minister of Pakistan and I are ready to acknowledge Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as a partner in a historic peace process."

"This should be aimed at altering negative public attitudes and stereotypes on both sides of the border while moving towards a broad range of cooperation and a just and mutually acceptable resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir and other issues," Musharraf said.

More reports from Pakistan