India links progress in ties with Pak action against Saeed, others

New Delhi, Apr 9 (PTI) Linking the progress in bilateral ties to Pakistan taking action against Hafiz Saeed and others responsible for Mumbai terror attacks, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Sunday told President Asif Ali Zardari that this was important for normalisation of relations between the two neighbours. Zardari, who made a stopover in the Indian capital on his way to a pilgrimage to the shrine of the medieval Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti at Ajmer in Rajasthan state, heard from Singh a reiteration of India's commitment to engage with Pakistan but was left in no doubt that action on terrorism was an essential step towards that. Singh brought up the issue of terrorism "upfront" and activities of LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, mastermind of 26/11 terror strikes in Mumbai, on whom the US announced a USD 10 million bounty although the Pakistani leader had said in Lahore a day earlier that he did not expect Singh "will make me sit (and discuss only) this issue." "Taking up the issue of terrorism, the Prime Minister told Zardari that it was imperative that perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack be brought to justice and prevent activities aimed against India from Pakistani soil. He also discussed the activities of Hafiz Saeed," Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai told reporters here. "The problem of terrorism which is a major issue by which the Indian people will judge progress in bilateral relationship," Mathai quoted Singh as having told Zardari. The 40-minute one-on-one meeting between the two leaders covered a wide gamut of bilateral, regional and global issues and in brief comments to the media, Singh and Zardari termed their talks as "constructive" and "fruitful" where they agreed to continue with step-by-step approach in addressing issues like Kashmir, Siachin and Sir Creek among other matters. Singh played host to Zardari and his son Bilawal along with a few other members of the 44-strong entourage at his Race Course Road residence. India's External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, Home Minister P Chidambaram, Rahul Gandhi, BJP leaders L K Advani and Sushma Swaraj and Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik were among the 20 guests at the lunch. Asked about Zardari's response to the Prime Minister's remarks on Saeed, Mathai said the Pakistan President felt that further discussion was required and since the home secretaries of the two countries will be meeting shortly, the issue will be taken up at that time. According to diplomatic sources, the issue of terrorism was discussed "upfront" by the Prime Minister, who mentioned that he wanted normal relations between India and Pakistan and to be able to move in that direction, action regarding terrorism, specifically bringing the perpetrators of Mumbai attacks to justice, is one of the expectation. "This can be kept in mind ... to make progress in relationship," sources quoted Singh as having told Zardari. Improving trade relations between India and Pakistan was touched upon, Mathai said, adding the commerce ministers of the two countries had already discussed the issue in detail earlier and a way forward has been decided. "The Prime Minister appreciated that Pakistan has moved ahead on bilateral trade," the Foreign Secretary said. Earlier, in his statement to press, Singh said, "President Zardari and I had a very constructive and friendly exchange of views on all bilateral issues which affect the relation between India and Pakistan. "President Zardari is on a private visit and I have taken advantage of this visit to discuss with him all bilateral issues and I am very satisfied with the outcome of this visit. President Zardari has also invited me to visit Pakistan. I would be very happy to visit Pakistan on a mutually convenient date." He said the relation between India and Pakistan should become normal. "That's our common desire. We have number of issues and we are willing to find practical and pragmatic solutions to all those issues and that's the message President Zardari and I wish to convey," he said. Describing the talks "fruitful", Zardari said "We would like to have better relations with India. We spoke on all topics that we could have spoken about and hope to meet on Pakistan soil very soon." Mathai said Singh's visit to Pakistan will be "worked out after the substantive preparations for it have been made." Singh and Zardari also talked about ways to improve people-to-people contact and it was decided that the liberal visa regime, agreed upon in 2011, should be inked during the forthcoming meeting of the respective home and interior secretaries, Mathai added. He said the two leaders noted that there has been steady progress in the India-Pakistan dialogue, which was restarted in 2011 after a breakdown in 2008 in the aftermath of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. Asked about what qualitative change has been there for Singh to change his mind on visiting Pakistan, the diplomatic sources said, "I won't say there has been qualitative difference .... Formula used was step-by-step approach and we need to take dialogue forward. And the expectation is that dialogue process will make the kind of progress which is solid and enough to make it a very substantive visit for the Prime Minister." Singh has always maintained that he will visit Pakistan only if there was some "substantive" progress in ties. Sources said the issue of ailing Pakistani microbiologist Khaleel Chishti, lodged in a Rajasthan state jail, also figured during the lunch when Home Minister P Chidambaram was inquired about him. Chidambaram is understood to have said that the Chishti case was before the court which was yet to take a view on the matter. PTI