Musharraf's agenda mainly political

Pervez Musharraf with Helen Clark after he arrived in Auckland.

Pervez Musharraf's quest for international legitimacy is the main reason for the Pakistani leader's historic visit to New Zealand.

Accompanied by a 55-strong delegation, President Musharraf, 61, arrived at Auckland Airport last night for a three-day primarily "political" visit.

Prime Minister Helen Clark has signalled that the hunt for Osama bin Laden will be high on the agenda during her bilateral meeting with the President as speculation builds that the recent redeployment of New Zealand SAS troops in Afghanistan is geared to this purpose.

Pakistan - which withdrew its support for the former Taleban regime in Afghanistan after September 11 - is in a position to share crucial intelligence with New Zealand on this score.

New Zealand's burgeoning reputation as a Pacific-based "soft power" has ensured a galloping parade of international visitors seeking this country's "understanding" of their positions on hot issues.

Pakistan is currently the only subject on the Commonwealth Action Group Agenda (COGA) after Mr Musharraf, who took power in 1999 after a coup, failed to keep a promise to relinquish his dual role as Army head last December.

While New Zealand is not represented on COGA, Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon - a former National Party Foreign Affairs Minister - is exerting influence to ensure that this country registers its expectation that he would not hold both positions.

Nuclear non-proliferation will also be on today's agenda.

And the Greens - who have attacked the human rights record of some visiting Asian leaders - yesterday said President Musharraf, who has survived two assassination attempts, was "all but a dictator".

"The Prime Minister will be betraying the Pakistani people if she doesn't speak out strongly against his shocking human rights record during his visit here," said Green spokesman Keith Locke.

"We ask her not to accept excuses from the President that the 'war on terror' justifies the use of force against prisoners and their detention without trial."