Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday pressed United States President Barack Obama to convince Pakistan to take strong action against terrorists involved in anti–India activities in that country following disclosures made by Lashkar-e-Taiba operative David Headley.
Briefing reporters about the 30–minute–long Singh–Obama meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit here, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said the two leaders discussed the situation in the region and they spoke of counter–terrorism cooperation in Afghanistan to stabilise the situation there.
Dr. Singh briefed Mr. Obama about the peace initiatives with Pakistan, but made it clear that Islamabad should abide by its commitment of not allowing terror emanating from its soil directed against India.
“If that commitment was abided by and was strengthened in the future, then the relationship between India and Pakistan would greatly benefit,” Ms. Rao said.
Headley issue
The activities of Headley came up for discussion in the light of information coming out of Pakistani–American LeT operative after his interrogation by Indian investigators.
“Both India and the U.S. have a mutual interest in ensuring that the information that is coming of the [Headley's] interrogation is taken seriously by Pakistan with a view to controlling and eliminating terrorist elements on its territory which affect the stability of the entire region,” Ms. Rao said.
Headley has confessed to his role in the Mumbai terror attacks and Indian investigators were given direct access to him this month. During his interrogation, he made disclosures, described as “useful” by the investigators.
Dr. Singh told Mr. Obama that while peace initiatives had their place, it was for Pakistan to show whether it was serious about using that information to tackle terror in the region.
To a question, Ms. Rao said the issue of extradition of the former Union Carbide chief, Warren Anderson, did not come up during the meeting.
Asked about Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik's reported statement that it was not possible for either Pakistan or India to control the likes of LeT chief Hafiz Saeed, she said it was possible for Pakistan to control the activities of people like Saeed, who were not doing right for relationship between the two countries.
She said Home Minister P. Chidambaram during his trip to Pakistan told them that it was India's hope that Pakistan continued to pay attention to the activities of Saeed it was still possible for Pakistan to take action against them.
Ms. Rao said the meeting between Dr. Singh and Mr. Obama was marked by warmth and cordiality. They referred to the strategic partnership between the two sides and expressed satisfaction over the current momentum of the relations.
Mr. Obama said he was looking forward to his visit to India in November and the Prime Minister emphasised that India was preparing eagerly for the visit. The President, his wife and their children would be received very warmly in India.
Welcoming Dr. Singh, Mr. Obama called him a “good friend.” He said he continued to believe that the extraordinary leadership that the Prime Minister had provided not just to his country, but to the world, had helped “us navigate through some very difficult times.”
In his opening remarks, the President said he was very pleased to have accepted an invitation to visit India.
He said:
“It is a trip that I'm very much looking forward to, and I know that the Prime Minister and his gracious wife will extend great hospitality to us.
“We are also just excited because of the tremendous cultural, as well as political and social and economic examples that India is providing the world and has in the past.
“Thank you so much for your friendship, and we look forward to working with you in the months to come, leading up to the visit, so that we know that we're going to have a very productive stay when we're in India.”
Heaping praises on Dr. Singh, Mr. Obama said at the G-20 Summit when the Prime Minister spoke people listened, particularly because of his deep knowledge of economic issues.
“As well as the fact that he understands that as India rises as a world power, not just a regional power, that it also has enormous responsibilities to work with the rest of the world community around issues of peace and prosperity,” he said.
Common endeavour
Dr. Singh said it was the common endeavour of both leaders to give the India–U.S. strategic partnership a new thrust, new meaning and new content.
The Prime Minister said he had every reason to believe that Mr. Obama would find it a productive and exciting journey to “a country of India's diversity, of India's complexity.”
The two countries were engaged in getting rid of chronic poverty, ignorance and disease, which still afflicted millions and millions of people.
“And it's our common desire to work together to get rid of this scourge in our lifetime. And in that, the United States' support means a great deal to us. Your personal commitment to social justice is something we cherish,” he said.
