New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has accepted an invitation to visit Pakistan on the condition that Pakistan has to show concrete progress in eliminating terrorism, a former Indian diplomat has said.
“PM Singh’s acceptance of an offer to visit Pakistan is conditional – meaning Islamabad has to show substantive progress on elimination of terrorism,” The Express Tribune quoted former Indian Foreign Service official KC Singh, as saying.
“Only yesterday (Saturday) Zardari said the issue of Hafiz Saeed was not the focus of his visit. So, it is important for India to remind him how important the issue is,” he added.
Singh also renewed his country’s demand that Pakistan prosecute the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which meant a clear reference to Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed.
“Premier Singh told Zardari that it was imperative to bring to justice the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks,” Indian Foreign Secretary Rajan Mathai said.
Singh made the demand on Sunday during a 40-minute one-on-one meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari at the former’s Racecourse Road residence in New Delhi.
Zardari’s one- day trip to India was significant, being the first by a Pakistani head of state to India since General Pervez Musharraf’s trip in 2005.
ANI
