PM to meet Musharraf; terror to top agenda of meeting

Havana, Sep 15: Despite the current chill in bilateral ties, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will meet Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf tomorrow on the margins of the NAM Summit during which he will firmly convey to the military ruler India's concerns over continuing cross-border terrorism.

According to senior Indian officials, the Prime Minister would do some plain-speaking at the crucial meeting and tell Gen Musharraf in unequivocal terms that it would be difficult for New Delhi to resume the peace process if Pakistan did not stop promoting cross-border terrorism.

This will be the first meeting between the two leaders after the recent spurt in terrorist activities in India, due to which the dialogue process had to be stalled in July. The serial blasts in Mumbai on July 11 forced India to put on hold the Foreign Secretary-level talks which were to be held later during that month in New Delhi.

The officials accompanying the Prime Minister did not rule out the possibility of the resumption of the dialogue process if the meeting between the two leaders went off well.

Both Dr Singh and Gen Musharraf have made right noises on the eve of the much-awaited meeting, that will determine the direction of the relationship between the two South Asian neighbours.

The Prime Minister has clearly indicated that he favoured interaction with the Pakistani leadership on the ground that India had to deal with whoever was in power in the neighbouring country. Reflecting his commitment to normalisation of relations with Pakistan, he had recently shot down the BJP's demand that he should not meet Gen Musharraf until Pakistan brought a complete end to terrorist activities being sponsored from across the border.

Talking to journalists accompanying him on his nine-day trip to Brazil and Cuba yesterday, the Prime Minister said he did not want to indulge in a ''public discussion'' with the Pakistan President ahead of their meeting.

Asked for his comments on the Pakistani leader's reported remarks in Brussels that he had made enough concessions and that it was now upto India to match them to take the peace process forward, Dr Singh said ''Well, I don't want to indulge in a public discussion with President Musharraf. I look forward to meeting him and we will discuss several issues in the limited time that will be available to us,'' he said.

On whether there would be a joint statement by them after their meeting, he said, ''That is too early to say. As I said it is a meeting on the sidelines of the NAM conference. We will see how it specifically proceeds. It is not ruled out and it is not ruled in, either.'' To another question, Dr Singh said that all issues related to the control of terrorism would figure in his discussions with Gen Musharraf.

''I am meeting him on the sidelines of the NAM conference, so I will have limited time and President Musharraf will also have limited time. So I don't promise you I am going to discuss each and every problem around,'' he said.

Asked about the fears of Pakistan's nuclear facilities falling into terrorists' hands, Dr Singh said both countries were aware of their responsibilities in safeguarding sensitive installations.

''I believe there are also arrangements--India and Pakistan exchange data about their nuclear installations.

''Therefore, we both recognise that this is a sensitive matter and there is an obligation to work together,'' he added.

Prior to his arrival here, Gen Musharraf told European lawmakers in Brussels that the objective for India and Pakistan was within reach.

"I am really hopeful the process will move forward,'' he told European lawmakers.

''We have to engage in out-of-the-box thinking ... An out-of-the-box solution is required,'' he said, calling for more local Kashmiri involvement in resolving the issue.

''Any settlement must be acceptable first to the people of Kashmir,'' the military leader said.

Great significance is being attached to the meeting between the two leaders in diplomatic and political circles in both countries. The two leaders had last met in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September, 2005.

Before that, Gen Musharraf had visited Delhi in April last year to watch a cricket match between India and Pakistan. During his meeting with Dr Singh, he had reassured India that he would not allow Pakistani territory to be used for terrorist activities against this country.

UNI

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