Welcome to Classic Cruisers Exeter
The boat designed for the discerning traveller. For those of you who love the idea of being captain of your very own motor cruiser, then this is for you.
These beautiful boats are built with both comfort and fun in mind. You can sit out on deck or inside the cabin. If the British weather intervenes, you simply put up the canopy and carry on cruising.
Your motor boat comes fully equipped with cooker, fridge, dining area and stereo. Your Classic Cruiser can be navigated around the inland waterways in safety, comfort and style.
You will be the envy of all your friends.
So welcome aboard... Click here to enter.
Friday, 26 December 2008
Sunday, 21 December 2008
classic cruisers
Classic Cruisers Exeter Boating Information
Rental
Classic Cruisers operate throughout the year so call now to book your next UK holiday.
Prices for a cruising holiday start from £800 for an off season week up to £1800 for Peak Holiday weeks.
These beautiful boats are built with both comfort and fun in mind. You can sit out on deck or inside the cabin. If the British weather intervenes, you simply put up the canopy and carry on cruising.
Your motor boat comes fully equipped with cooker, fridge, dining area and stereo.
Your Classic Cruiser can be navigated around the inland waterways in safety, comfort and style.
You will be the envy of all your friends.
Ever imagined cruising along the Thames on a wonderful summer's day, mooring up next to a lovely pub and enjoying a leisurely lunch?
Well, look no further.
Classic Cruisers can make this a reality, our Cruisers offer everything you would expect from Cruisers built with style, comfort and fun in mind. All motor boats are equipped with cooker, fridge and dinning area, and should the sun shine too bright simply pop up your canopy and enjoy the shade.
Classic Cruisers offer both 4 berth and 6 berth boats perfect for a family or a group of friends. You will be armed with all the tuition you need on how to navigate your Cruiser before you set off on your journey along the Thames. You will cruise out of Windsor Marina, which is set in the most beautiful gardens with a large river frontage. Windsor Marina also has an active yacht Club.
Windsor Marina is within easy reach of the M4 and only 3 miles of the historic town of Windsor, which boasts of wealth of shops and restaurants and of course the world famous Windsor Castle. Not to mention the great attraction of Lego Land.
Rental
Classic Cruisers operate throughout the year so call now to book your next UK holiday.
Prices for a cruising holiday start from £800 for an off season week up to £1800 for Peak Holiday weeks.
These beautiful boats are built with both comfort and fun in mind. You can sit out on deck or inside the cabin. If the British weather intervenes, you simply put up the canopy and carry on cruising.
Your motor boat comes fully equipped with cooker, fridge, dining area and stereo.
Your Classic Cruiser can be navigated around the inland waterways in safety, comfort and style.
You will be the envy of all your friends.
Ever imagined cruising along the Thames on a wonderful summer's day, mooring up next to a lovely pub and enjoying a leisurely lunch?
Well, look no further.
Classic Cruisers can make this a reality, our Cruisers offer everything you would expect from Cruisers built with style, comfort and fun in mind. All motor boats are equipped with cooker, fridge and dinning area, and should the sun shine too bright simply pop up your canopy and enjoy the shade.
Classic Cruisers offer both 4 berth and 6 berth boats perfect for a family or a group of friends. You will be armed with all the tuition you need on how to navigate your Cruiser before you set off on your journey along the Thames. You will cruise out of Windsor Marina, which is set in the most beautiful gardens with a large river frontage. Windsor Marina also has an active yacht Club.
Windsor Marina is within easy reach of the M4 and only 3 miles of the historic town of Windsor, which boasts of wealth of shops and restaurants and of course the world famous Windsor Castle. Not to mention the great attraction of Lego Land.
Sunday, 30 November 2008
classic cruises
As a child it was my dream to sail a boat and be the 'skipper'.
The good news is that my dream became reality thanks to the Classic Cruisers. They presented the opportunity for me and my family to get away from all the troubles in the world. It was just me, them and the boat. Brilliant.
I felt like I was on top of the world, or water at-least!
The cabin proved itself to be spacious, stylish, comfortable and safe. What better way of spending your days can there be, than spending them on a lovely motor boat sailing the beautiful surrounds of the British Waterways.
The good news is that my dream became reality thanks to the Classic Cruisers. They presented the opportunity for me and my family to get away from all the troubles in the world. It was just me, them and the boat. Brilliant.
I felt like I was on top of the world, or water at-least!
The cabin proved itself to be spacious, stylish, comfortable and safe. What better way of spending your days can there be, than spending them on a lovely motor boat sailing the beautiful surrounds of the British Waterways.
Saturday, 29 November 2008
Exeter has Classic Cruising
You can find out about the British Waterways and cruising in absolute quality at Classic Cruisers.
Explore the british waterways in style, comfort and safety.
Explore the british waterways in style, comfort and safety.
Saturday, 27 September 2008
Pakistan's new leaders tell US: We are no longer your killing field
The Bush administration is scrambling to engage with Pakistan's new rulers as power flows from its strong ally, President Pervez Musharraf, to a powerful civilian government buoyed by anti-American sentiment.
Top diplomats John Negroponte and Richard Boucher travelled to a mountain fortress near the Afghan border yesterday as part of a hastily announced visit that has received a tepid reception.
On Tuesday, senior coalition partner Nawaz Sharif gave the visiting Americans a public scolding for using Pakistan as a "killing field" and relying too much on Musharraf.
Yesterday the new prime minister, Yousaf Raza Gilani, said he warned President George Bush in a phone conversation that he would prioritise talking as well as shooting in the battle against Islamist extremism. "He said that a comprehensive approach is required in this regard, specially combining a political approach with development," a statement said.
But Gilani also reassured Bush that Pakistan would "continue to fight against terrorism", it said.
Since 2001 American officials have treasured their close relationship with Musharraf because he offered a "one-stop shop" for cooperation in hunting al-Qaida fugitives hiding in Pakistan.
But since the crushing electoral defeat of Musharraf's party last month, and talk that the new parliament may hobble the president's powers, that equation has changed. Now the US finds itself dealing with politicians it previously spurned.
The body language between Negroponte and Sharif during their meeting on Tuesday spoke volumes: the Pakistani greeted the American with a starched handshake, and sat at a distance .
In blunt remarks afterwards, Sharif said he told Negroponte that Pakistan was no longer a one-man show. "Since 9/11, all decisions were taken by one man," he said. "Now we have a sovereign parliament and everything will be debated in the parliament."
It was "unacceptable that while giving peace to the world we make our own country a killing field," Sharif said, echoing widespread public anger at US-funded military operations in the tribal belt.
"If America wants to see itself clean of terrorism, we also want our villages and towns not to be bombed," he said.
US officials have long paid tribute to the virtues of democracy in Pakistan. But, as happened in the Palestinian Authority after the 2006 Hamas victory, policymakers are racing to catch up with the consequences of a result that challenges American priorities.
The US has long been suspicious of Sharif, whom it views as sympathetic to religious parties. Unlike Benazir Bhutto, whose return from exile was negotiated through the US, Sharif came under the protection of Saudi Arabia. But now Sharif's party, which performed well in the poll, is an integral part of the new government.
Yesterday Negroponte and Boucher travelled to the Khyber Pass in North-West Frontier Province, the centre of a growing insurgency. They met with the commander of the Frontier Corps, a poorly equipped paramilitary force that the US has offered to upgrade. The US has earmarked $750m (£324m) for a five-year development programme in tribal areas. At least 22 military instructors are due to start training the corps this year.
The timing of the American visit - before the new cabinet is announced - has offended Pakistanis. "It flies in the face of normal protocol at a time when public opinion is rife that they are making a last ditch effort to save Musharraf," said Talat Hussain, a prominent journalist.
It is unclear how Pakistan's foreign policy will be formulated in future. Musharraf's power may have been cut but the strong army is lurking in the shadows, and the coalition is wrangling over cabinet posts, including that of foreign minister.
Gilani must manage other tensions, particularly over whether to reinstate Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, the deposed chief justice who was freed from house arrest on Monday. Chaudhry has become a folk hero but is viewed with suspicion by Gilani's Pakistan People's party.
-Source http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/27/pakistan.usa
Top diplomats John Negroponte and Richard Boucher travelled to a mountain fortress near the Afghan border yesterday as part of a hastily announced visit that has received a tepid reception.
On Tuesday, senior coalition partner Nawaz Sharif gave the visiting Americans a public scolding for using Pakistan as a "killing field" and relying too much on Musharraf.
Yesterday the new prime minister, Yousaf Raza Gilani, said he warned President George Bush in a phone conversation that he would prioritise talking as well as shooting in the battle against Islamist extremism. "He said that a comprehensive approach is required in this regard, specially combining a political approach with development," a statement said.
But Gilani also reassured Bush that Pakistan would "continue to fight against terrorism", it said.
Since 2001 American officials have treasured their close relationship with Musharraf because he offered a "one-stop shop" for cooperation in hunting al-Qaida fugitives hiding in Pakistan.
But since the crushing electoral defeat of Musharraf's party last month, and talk that the new parliament may hobble the president's powers, that equation has changed. Now the US finds itself dealing with politicians it previously spurned.
The body language between Negroponte and Sharif during their meeting on Tuesday spoke volumes: the Pakistani greeted the American with a starched handshake, and sat at a distance .
In blunt remarks afterwards, Sharif said he told Negroponte that Pakistan was no longer a one-man show. "Since 9/11, all decisions were taken by one man," he said. "Now we have a sovereign parliament and everything will be debated in the parliament."
It was "unacceptable that while giving peace to the world we make our own country a killing field," Sharif said, echoing widespread public anger at US-funded military operations in the tribal belt.
"If America wants to see itself clean of terrorism, we also want our villages and towns not to be bombed," he said.
US officials have long paid tribute to the virtues of democracy in Pakistan. But, as happened in the Palestinian Authority after the 2006 Hamas victory, policymakers are racing to catch up with the consequences of a result that challenges American priorities.
The US has long been suspicious of Sharif, whom it views as sympathetic to religious parties. Unlike Benazir Bhutto, whose return from exile was negotiated through the US, Sharif came under the protection of Saudi Arabia. But now Sharif's party, which performed well in the poll, is an integral part of the new government.
Yesterday Negroponte and Boucher travelled to the Khyber Pass in North-West Frontier Province, the centre of a growing insurgency. They met with the commander of the Frontier Corps, a poorly equipped paramilitary force that the US has offered to upgrade. The US has earmarked $750m (£324m) for a five-year development programme in tribal areas. At least 22 military instructors are due to start training the corps this year.
The timing of the American visit - before the new cabinet is announced - has offended Pakistanis. "It flies in the face of normal protocol at a time when public opinion is rife that they are making a last ditch effort to save Musharraf," said Talat Hussain, a prominent journalist.
It is unclear how Pakistan's foreign policy will be formulated in future. Musharraf's power may have been cut but the strong army is lurking in the shadows, and the coalition is wrangling over cabinet posts, including that of foreign minister.
Gilani must manage other tensions, particularly over whether to reinstate Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, the deposed chief justice who was freed from house arrest on Monday. Chaudhry has become a folk hero but is viewed with suspicion by Gilani's Pakistan People's party.
-Source http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/27/pakistan.usa
Monday, 1 September 2008
Post-Musharraf Pakistan: Searching for stability after the chaos
In a way, a discouraging-sounding headline in the Hindu says it all; referring to the news that Nawaz Sharif, a former Pakistani prime minister who heads the Pakistan Muslim League (N) had pulled his party out of Pakistan's current, governing coalition, the Hindu notes: "The inevitable happens."
Mian Khursheed/Reuters
In Islamabad yesterday, Nawaz Sharif (right), Pakistan's former prime minister, arrived for a news conference with his party's nominated candidate for president, former Chief Justice Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui; Sharif announced that his party was pulling out of Pakistan's current governing coalition
Only a few days after Pakistan's controversial, U.S.-backed dictator-president Pervez Musharraf resigned, Sharif withdrew from the coalition that is headed by the Pakistan People's Party because, he told the press, numerous judges whom Musharraf had fired last year were supposed to have been sent back to work "'within a day' of the successful impeachment of...Musharraf or his resignation." That was the agreement Sharif and his MNL(N) had made with the PPP, whose co-chairman is Asif Ali Zaradri, the widower of the former PPP leader Benazir Bhutto; last December, Bhutto was assassinated after appearing at a campaign rally in the lead-up to parliamentary elections that were supposed to take place in January but were postponed following her death.
Pakistan People's Party/Handout/Reuters
Pakistan People's Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari (right) at a meeting of the leadership of his organization in Islamabad last week; the widower of the late Benazir Bhutto, Zardari is running as the PPP's candidate in the September 6 election
"The only surprise is that it took as little as a week after...Musharraf quit as president for their alliance in Pakistan's ruling coalition to unravel," the Hindu reports. At a press conference in Islamabad yesterday, it reports, Sharif said: "[T]he judges were not restored on August 19. Instead, the presidential elections were announced [for September 6], and the PPP announced the candidature of Asif Ali Zardari in the election...." Sharif suggested that the PPP's Zardari could not be trusted to upheld the agreements into which he has entered. The Hindu notes: "Sharif said his party had tried its best to keep the coalition intact, despite...Zardari repeatedly reneging on his promise to restore the judges, in the interests of democracy and giving the country a stable government. [Sharif] has held out the assurance that his party will play the role of a 'constructive opposition' that will not try to place hurdles in the path of the PPP government." The Pakistan Muslim League (N) has announced that it has chosen a retired judge, Saeedduzzman Siddiqui, as its candidate in the forthcoming presidential contest. (See also the Age, Australia)
By pulling out of Pakistan's current governing coalition, in effect, the Gulf News notes, Sharif is "setting up" the scene that will become the backdrop for the forthcoming race for the presidency. The English-language, United Arab Emirates-based newspaper reports that both the Pakistan People's Party and Sharif's PML(N) "will now flex their muscles" in Pakistan's national parliament. "There will be efforts to form new alliances and the pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid) [party] is expected to play a major role once again. There will be a tussle between [the] PPP and [the] PML(N) to gain power in Punjab, which is currently ruled by PML(N), leading to more friction."
Athar Hussain/Reuters
In Karachi earlier this week, PPP supporters celebrated Zardari's decision to run for president
An editorial titled "In memoriam" in the Pakistani newspaper the Nation observes: "The seven-month-long alliance between the PPP and the PML(N) has finally come to an end. This would pain many who believed that an understanding between the two mainstream parties alone could strengthen democracy and steer the country out of the serious economic, political and security crisis it has inherited from the previous administration. While working together both sides have indulged in actions that contributed to the parting of ways....Both are within their right to criticize each other's policies inside and outside Parliament, but they must do nothing that upsets the applecart....[U]nless the PPP and the PML(N) display [the] tolerance for one another that they failed to do in the past, maintain good working relations and their leaders learn to act like political rivals rather than personal enemies, those waiting in the wings might not take long to give the politicians a surprise."
An editorial in the Pakistan Observer notes that, right now, PPP leader Zardari's "star is at its zenith" and assumes that he will win the forthcoming election. The paper states: "We are confident that...Zardari, in his capacity as president[,]...will play [a] crucial role in resolving the problems haunting the country....[T]he PPP will become a formidable force, and that is why people are expecting rapid action for addressing...challenges like price hike[s], unemployment, lawlessness and economic slowdown. The party, enjoying all powers, will have no excuse [not to take action on these problems], and that is why it has become imperative for its leadership to start doing loud thinking [about] how to proceed...."
Apparently, in their national government and in the way they are governed, many Pakistanis are craving big changes at the top. Referring to the departure of Musharraf and to his backing by the U.S., Pakistan's Statesman editorializes: "Except for a handful of sheepish Musharraf loyalists, the entire Pakistani nation has heaved a sigh of relief at the final disappearance from national scene of a Nero-like, power-hungry and vision-less ruler whose only qualification was to make...national institutions subservient to the dictates of...distant imperialist forces...." Instead of "brainstorming on the solution of public problems," the Statesman notes, the Musharaff regime's "focus appeared to be on the distribution of booty. The common man can understand the compulsions of [such] rulers, but in the face of the hardships of life, he is probably running out of patience."
Faisal Mahmood/Reuters
Passersby in Islamabad read the day's headlines in papers on display at a newsstand; what Pakistanis want now is for leading political parties to stop squabbling, and for their government to seriously focus on many urgent problems
The Financial Times suggests that Zaardari isn't exactly a shoo-in for the Pakistani presidency and that he might have some explaining to do about his past. The British business-news daily reports: "Twenty years after...Zardari shot to political fame when his late wife, Benazir Bhutto, became the first female Muslim prime minister of an Islamic country,...[he]...is again battling his past. The 54-year-old former businessman has spent more than half his 20-year political career in prison in Pakistan fighting corruption charges, and most of his recent past in exile fighting off similar allegations in international courts. In the wake of his wife's assassination...and the decision by former general Pervez Musharraf to step down as president last week, there has never been a more pressing moment to present his side of the story." The FT notes that Zardari's "well-documented fight against various corruption charges" left behind significant "scars."
Read more
Mian Khursheed/Reuters
In Islamabad yesterday, Nawaz Sharif (right), Pakistan's former prime minister, arrived for a news conference with his party's nominated candidate for president, former Chief Justice Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui; Sharif announced that his party was pulling out of Pakistan's current governing coalition
Only a few days after Pakistan's controversial, U.S.-backed dictator-president Pervez Musharraf resigned, Sharif withdrew from the coalition that is headed by the Pakistan People's Party because, he told the press, numerous judges whom Musharraf had fired last year were supposed to have been sent back to work "'within a day' of the successful impeachment of...Musharraf or his resignation." That was the agreement Sharif and his MNL(N) had made with the PPP, whose co-chairman is Asif Ali Zaradri, the widower of the former PPP leader Benazir Bhutto; last December, Bhutto was assassinated after appearing at a campaign rally in the lead-up to parliamentary elections that were supposed to take place in January but were postponed following her death.
Pakistan People's Party/Handout/Reuters
Pakistan People's Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari (right) at a meeting of the leadership of his organization in Islamabad last week; the widower of the late Benazir Bhutto, Zardari is running as the PPP's candidate in the September 6 election
"The only surprise is that it took as little as a week after...Musharraf quit as president for their alliance in Pakistan's ruling coalition to unravel," the Hindu reports. At a press conference in Islamabad yesterday, it reports, Sharif said: "[T]he judges were not restored on August 19. Instead, the presidential elections were announced [for September 6], and the PPP announced the candidature of Asif Ali Zardari in the election...." Sharif suggested that the PPP's Zardari could not be trusted to upheld the agreements into which he has entered. The Hindu notes: "Sharif said his party had tried its best to keep the coalition intact, despite...Zardari repeatedly reneging on his promise to restore the judges, in the interests of democracy and giving the country a stable government. [Sharif] has held out the assurance that his party will play the role of a 'constructive opposition' that will not try to place hurdles in the path of the PPP government." The Pakistan Muslim League (N) has announced that it has chosen a retired judge, Saeedduzzman Siddiqui, as its candidate in the forthcoming presidential contest. (See also the Age, Australia)
By pulling out of Pakistan's current governing coalition, in effect, the Gulf News notes, Sharif is "setting up" the scene that will become the backdrop for the forthcoming race for the presidency. The English-language, United Arab Emirates-based newspaper reports that both the Pakistan People's Party and Sharif's PML(N) "will now flex their muscles" in Pakistan's national parliament. "There will be efforts to form new alliances and the pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid) [party] is expected to play a major role once again. There will be a tussle between [the] PPP and [the] PML(N) to gain power in Punjab, which is currently ruled by PML(N), leading to more friction."
Athar Hussain/Reuters
In Karachi earlier this week, PPP supporters celebrated Zardari's decision to run for president
An editorial titled "In memoriam" in the Pakistani newspaper the Nation observes: "The seven-month-long alliance between the PPP and the PML(N) has finally come to an end. This would pain many who believed that an understanding between the two mainstream parties alone could strengthen democracy and steer the country out of the serious economic, political and security crisis it has inherited from the previous administration. While working together both sides have indulged in actions that contributed to the parting of ways....Both are within their right to criticize each other's policies inside and outside Parliament, but they must do nothing that upsets the applecart....[U]nless the PPP and the PML(N) display [the] tolerance for one another that they failed to do in the past, maintain good working relations and their leaders learn to act like political rivals rather than personal enemies, those waiting in the wings might not take long to give the politicians a surprise."
An editorial in the Pakistan Observer notes that, right now, PPP leader Zardari's "star is at its zenith" and assumes that he will win the forthcoming election. The paper states: "We are confident that...Zardari, in his capacity as president[,]...will play [a] crucial role in resolving the problems haunting the country....[T]he PPP will become a formidable force, and that is why people are expecting rapid action for addressing...challenges like price hike[s], unemployment, lawlessness and economic slowdown. The party, enjoying all powers, will have no excuse [not to take action on these problems], and that is why it has become imperative for its leadership to start doing loud thinking [about] how to proceed...."
Apparently, in their national government and in the way they are governed, many Pakistanis are craving big changes at the top. Referring to the departure of Musharraf and to his backing by the U.S., Pakistan's Statesman editorializes: "Except for a handful of sheepish Musharraf loyalists, the entire Pakistani nation has heaved a sigh of relief at the final disappearance from national scene of a Nero-like, power-hungry and vision-less ruler whose only qualification was to make...national institutions subservient to the dictates of...distant imperialist forces...." Instead of "brainstorming on the solution of public problems," the Statesman notes, the Musharaff regime's "focus appeared to be on the distribution of booty. The common man can understand the compulsions of [such] rulers, but in the face of the hardships of life, he is probably running out of patience."
Faisal Mahmood/Reuters
Passersby in Islamabad read the day's headlines in papers on display at a newsstand; what Pakistanis want now is for leading political parties to stop squabbling, and for their government to seriously focus on many urgent problems
The Financial Times suggests that Zaardari isn't exactly a shoo-in for the Pakistani presidency and that he might have some explaining to do about his past. The British business-news daily reports: "Twenty years after...Zardari shot to political fame when his late wife, Benazir Bhutto, became the first female Muslim prime minister of an Islamic country,...[he]...is again battling his past. The 54-year-old former businessman has spent more than half his 20-year political career in prison in Pakistan fighting corruption charges, and most of his recent past in exile fighting off similar allegations in international courts. In the wake of his wife's assassination...and the decision by former general Pervez Musharraf to step down as president last week, there has never been a more pressing moment to present his side of the story." The FT notes that Zardari's "well-documented fight against various corruption charges" left behind significant "scars."
Read more
Profile of Pervez Musharraf
President Pervez Musharraf is facing his gravest test as ruler of Pakistan since seizing power in a bloodless coup in 1999.
The general - who now finds himself centre stage in an international crisis - was born in Delhi in August 1943.
His family emigrated to Pakistan during the partition of the Indian sub-continent.
His rise through the ranks came despite the fact that he does not belong to the predominantly Punjabi officer class of the Pakistani army - but to an Urdu-speaking family in Karachi.
He began his military career in 1964.
Early on, he reportedly commanded artillery and infantry brigades before going on to lead various commando units.
He reportedly underwent two spells of military training in the UK and was appointed director-general of military operations by the now-exiled former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, before taking full charge of the armed forces.
Top job
General Musharraf rose to the top job in 1998 when Pakistan's powerful army chief, General Jehangir Karamat, resigned two days after calling for the army to be given a key role in the country's decision-making process.
Prime Minister Sharif: Increasing tension with general
It was the first time an army chief of staff has ever stepped down and many observers took it as a sign that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's political power had become strong enough to secure the long-term future of civilian administrations.
Some independent commentators suggested that General Musharraf's promotion came precisely because he did not belong to the Punjabi officer class.
They say the Prime Minister believed that Musharraf's ethnic background would leave the general unable to build a powerbase.
Kashmir crisis
During the Kashmir crisis in 1998, General Musharraf was regularly seen briefing the media and making appearances on state television.
But while he said that Pakistan-backed militants were preventing Indian gains, he and other senior generals were reportedly increasingly angry at the prime minister's attempts to find a diplomatic way out of the crisis.
Mr Sharif's moves led to speculation that the military did not have the full political backing of the government and he eventually ordered a full withdrawal.
General Musharraf was the first senior figure to acknowledge that Pakistani troops had entered the Indian-administered sector during the fighting.
Previously, Pakistan had said that the forces had all been Islamic militants determined to take territory from the other side of the Line of Control.
Click here to watch an interview with General Musharraf from the time
Following the order to withdraw, Gen Musharraf told the BBC that the crisis had been a "great success" for Pakistan.
In contrast, India's ruling BJP party sought to make electoral capital out of what it saw as a great military victory.
While being credited as one of the principal strategists behind the Kashmir crisis, General Musharraf also made clear he did not oppose efforts to ease tension with India.
Ties worsened after a hijack in December 1999
But any hopes that his takeover in a coup might herald a stabilisation in ties with India - or even a new start - appeared displaced in the first 20 months of his rule.
Tension on the sub-continent initially increased markedly - with both sides adopting hostile positions.
The hijack of an Indian Airlines plane to Afghanistan in 1999 - which India blamed on Pakistani-backed groups - and a rising tide of violence in Kashmir plunged relations to a new low.
In July 2001, General Musharraf held his first summit meeting with Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee at Agra - but failed to make much headway in the Kashmir dispute.
Before going to India, he had named himself president in a bid to consolidate his grip on power.
General Musharraf has also firmly resisted outside pressure to move quickly to restore civilian rule.
After the coup he suspended the national assembly. He has said there can be no question of elections until October 2002 - the deadline set by Pakistan's Supreme Court.
The general - who now finds himself centre stage in an international crisis - was born in Delhi in August 1943.
His family emigrated to Pakistan during the partition of the Indian sub-continent.
His rise through the ranks came despite the fact that he does not belong to the predominantly Punjabi officer class of the Pakistani army - but to an Urdu-speaking family in Karachi.
He began his military career in 1964.
Early on, he reportedly commanded artillery and infantry brigades before going on to lead various commando units.
He reportedly underwent two spells of military training in the UK and was appointed director-general of military operations by the now-exiled former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, before taking full charge of the armed forces.
Top job
General Musharraf rose to the top job in 1998 when Pakistan's powerful army chief, General Jehangir Karamat, resigned two days after calling for the army to be given a key role in the country's decision-making process.
Prime Minister Sharif: Increasing tension with general
It was the first time an army chief of staff has ever stepped down and many observers took it as a sign that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's political power had become strong enough to secure the long-term future of civilian administrations.
Some independent commentators suggested that General Musharraf's promotion came precisely because he did not belong to the Punjabi officer class.
They say the Prime Minister believed that Musharraf's ethnic background would leave the general unable to build a powerbase.
Kashmir crisis
During the Kashmir crisis in 1998, General Musharraf was regularly seen briefing the media and making appearances on state television.
But while he said that Pakistan-backed militants were preventing Indian gains, he and other senior generals were reportedly increasingly angry at the prime minister's attempts to find a diplomatic way out of the crisis.
Mr Sharif's moves led to speculation that the military did not have the full political backing of the government and he eventually ordered a full withdrawal.
General Musharraf was the first senior figure to acknowledge that Pakistani troops had entered the Indian-administered sector during the fighting.
Previously, Pakistan had said that the forces had all been Islamic militants determined to take territory from the other side of the Line of Control.
Click here to watch an interview with General Musharraf from the time
Following the order to withdraw, Gen Musharraf told the BBC that the crisis had been a "great success" for Pakistan.
In contrast, India's ruling BJP party sought to make electoral capital out of what it saw as a great military victory.
While being credited as one of the principal strategists behind the Kashmir crisis, General Musharraf also made clear he did not oppose efforts to ease tension with India.
Ties worsened after a hijack in December 1999
But any hopes that his takeover in a coup might herald a stabilisation in ties with India - or even a new start - appeared displaced in the first 20 months of his rule.
Tension on the sub-continent initially increased markedly - with both sides adopting hostile positions.
The hijack of an Indian Airlines plane to Afghanistan in 1999 - which India blamed on Pakistani-backed groups - and a rising tide of violence in Kashmir plunged relations to a new low.
In July 2001, General Musharraf held his first summit meeting with Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee at Agra - but failed to make much headway in the Kashmir dispute.
Before going to India, he had named himself president in a bid to consolidate his grip on power.
General Musharraf has also firmly resisted outside pressure to move quickly to restore civilian rule.
After the coup he suspended the national assembly. He has said there can be no question of elections until October 2002 - the deadline set by Pakistan's Supreme Court.
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