“I am very keen to visit Pakistan and I am grateful for the invitation. But I also mentioned to President Asif Ali Zardari that we have to create a proper atmosphere,” Singh told reporters accompanying him on his return, after attending the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Tehran.
Singh’s remarks came a day after he met President Zardari on the sidelines of the NAM Summit in the Iranian capital during which he pushed for action against India-directed terrorism and said that expeditious conclusion of the Mumbai terror attack trial will be a “major” Confidence Building Measure in bilateral relations.
The Indian premier noted that Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik said Islamabad was doing all it could in the realm of the court process.
The Singh-Zardari meeting on Thursday came a day after the Indian Supreme Court upheld Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Ajmal Kasab’s death sentence in the Mumbai terror attack case, this was the second meeting between the two leaders this year.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 1st, 2012.
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‘Proper atmosphere’ needed for Pakistan visit: Indian PM......Like we waiting in queue with garland in our hands at wagh-border
@Lala Gee: Even if all the countries you mention do have a problem with India, they will sort themselves. Who has appointed you to be the policeman (sic)?
@gp65: "The complete statement would be :Indian leaders have mentioned it repeatedly…eradicate terrorism emanating from Pakistan. The Indians are also not angels and don't have angelic feelings/attitudes for Pakistan and Pakistanis as well and try their best and utmost to leave no stone unturned to harm Pakistan by taking any possible and easily available opportunities......
@ Lala Gee:
For India, the State and Non-state actors (whatever you call them) are accomplice to the crime committed by ten terrorists on Indian soil. The International community desire Pakistan to take action against Mumbai carnage culprits themselves or hand them over to the country where crime against humanity is committed. To India’s perception, Pakistan is shielding the culprits and hence itself is accomplice to the crime. Pakistan is not permitting Indian or any other international agencies for collection of evidences within its territory (for obvious reasons). To establish crime evidences required to be dig in Pakistan. They are not available on platter. Same was the case with OBL, when US did not trust and went alone.
In view of above, the judicial commission (as you call the visiting Pakistani officials) is allowed access, to records and persons, considering them ‘representative of accomplice in crime who is on parole’. The access to Indian judicial records is open and is provided to accused as also his accomplices in crime for their defense. This is only for their (or their citizens’) defense before Indian Courts or for International community. Visiting Pakistani Commissions does not hold any judicial authority in India to question witnesses or culprits. Please realize it.
well pakistan shud stop now the general zia ul haq philosophy
@Nand:
"As for the US$10 million bounty on Saeed, it was politely telling Pakistan to shut him up before the Special Forces “pick” him up and embarrass GOP even further than OBL"
And Director CIA or President Obama told you this in private.
"Since when has Pakistan become the policeman of the world? Is Sri Lanka part of Pakistan?"
And who is India to mess up with Sri Lanka, Pakistan, China, Nepal, and Bangladesh? Is Sri Lanka an occupied Hindu colony of India?
@Lala Gee: "I guess we are better off as enemies than any thing else." We don't seek enemies. We like to have friends. We do have friends, in all corners of the world. Do you have any? In any corner of the world?
" Further, good luck in your endeavors to soar to skies but have some landing gear ready for return lest Sun is your destination." Thanks for your (tongue-in-cheek) solicitousness! We love Life. We revere Life unlike "some" who are in love with Death and can't wait to cross the Rubicon for their union with hoors. We worship Sun, the source of all Life in our universe. We like to bask in its light unlike some who run away from it and are content to receive a small reflection of it via a bald rock in the sky tethered to our own Earth. Thanks anyway, we are able to take care of ourselves which is more than some others can claim!
@Lala Gee: "you never show the same level of concern against the genocides committed by your own people against your own citizens belonging to minorities. " Look who is talking. Pot is calling kettle black. Shia, Hindu, Christian, Ahmadis are not getting killed in Pakistan. Pakistan is the only country in the world that has a law against Ahmadis.Genocide of people in East Pakistan led to separation too. India is the birth place for Hindu, Buddhist, Jain. Sikhism. India is also has lots of people from Zoorostrian religion who were persecuted in Iran, India also gave refuge to world famous refugee Dalai Lamma. Now can you give me an example of one religious minority to which Pakistan, in last 65 years, gave refuge from persecution in their home land? You should also look up massacre of Palestinian in Jordan by Zia-ul-Haq so called Black September.
@Lala Gee: .Before you go on ranting, please read my answer to your conspiracies. As for the US$10 million bounty on Saeed, it was politely telling Pakistan to shut him up before the Special Forces "pick" him up and embarrass GOP even further than OBL.. Since when has Pakistan become the policeman of the world? Is Sri Lanka part of Pakistan? Without reason you keep on jumping to different topics to satisfy yourself to make an argument
@Sardar KHAN: If all that you are saying is sane, why has GOP agreed that Pakistan "Non-State actors" are involved. Have you devoid yourself from reading Pakistani newspaper. There is a saying that anyone who lives with snakes dies from snakes bites. You talk of private meetings. How did you know when it was between two people. Please come out of your insanity before it is too late.
Has any Deeper-Than-Teacup, Higher-Than-Hiccup Premier visited Pakistan EVER ? Also, no liberal visa talks with China? No talk of market access to China?
@Dr Priyanka:
"you as well as the whole world knows who were behind the Mumbai attacks."
The reality is I am little bit irritated by the irrational attitude of even highly qualified Indian commentators. If the whole world knows then what was the need for US to announce 10 million dollar bounty for providing information leading to the conviction of Hafiz Saeed's for his alleged involvement in Mumbai attacks. It clearly shows that neither India, nor USA, nor anybody else have solid proofs but only assumptions and clues. How do you expect Pakistan higher courts to convict and punish a person without any reasonable proof. On top of that, GOI refused to give access to the witnesses for cross questioning by the defense lawyers. Where in this world, the courts convict an accused based only on the statements submitted by the prosecution without giving the defendant their legal right to defend themselves by cross question the witnesses. Can you quote me any such example. You say Pakistani authorities must investigate further and provide the proofs by themselves. How can you say that they are not trying. Even if USA still didn't get any solid proof with that kind of bounty, Pakistani authorities must be given some discount for their lack of resources.
On the same logic, every Pakistani knows that RAW is involved in the everyday bombings and sectarian killings in Pakistan. The whole world knows that RAW provided training, arms, and funding to LTTE terrorists who wreck a havoc in Sri Lanka for two decades. Is GOI doing anything to punish the planners and supporters of the terrorists within the Indian government who are the real ones responsible of tends of thousands of deaths in the region.
@G. Din:
"No, it is not! We want to have nothing to do with you, much less share our destiny with you. Look at you and look at us. Can anyone say we are “intertwined” in any way whatsoever? We aspire to soar the skies; you are in a race to sink deeper and deeper. Go “intertwine” your destiny some Arab"
Very befitting response [no sarcasm intended] to the "Aman Ki Asha" day dreamers. Before I started reading news and comments on ET, I myself had similar misconceptions which were very quickly corrected by the comments posted by Indians. Thanks to you now I am able to see clearly. I guess we are better off as enemies than any thing else. Further, good luck in your endeavors to soar to skies but have some landing gear ready for return lest Sun is your destination.
@Lala Gee: you as well as the whole world knows who were behind the Mumbai attacks. You try to infuse reason into your comments, but are very unreasonable. The insensitivity and aggressiveness continues. You seem to be a very difficult person to deal with and come up with all kinds of explanations. Anyways I am not going to be diverted from the attacks on Mumbai which had a devastating effect on us and hopefully the perpetrators of that attack would be punished. I would not like to be drawn into a discussion with you again because I feel it serves no purpose.
pleaseeeeee manmohan singh jeee plssss we beg you not to come to our country and bring the pollution of india with you plsss.. thank you very much ... and when it comes to mumbai incident then who will b answerable for samjhota express from the indian side???
@Dr Priyanka:
"Your comment is insensitive. ..... When Mumbai was attacked we did not know who it was and what was going to happen next. And we are still waiting for justice. Do some soul searching and then you will realise what is the essence and meaning of your comments."
Although insensitivity of my comment is debatable, hypocrisy in your attitude is very obvious. While your hyper sensitivity towards any suffering of the Indian people by some foreigners is understandable, you never show the same level of concern against the genocides committed by your own people against your own citizens belonging to minorities. Or perhaps they are less human than Hindu majority. Do I need to give you all the details how many thousands were massacred, how many girls were gang-raped and abducted, how many homes and business were burned, or how many were made homeless; all with the collusion of the state machinery.
Regarding your statement "we did not know who it was", I am amazed by your ignorance. Don't you remember that the moment the news of the incident was made public, the media and your people, as always, started blaming ISI and Pakistan responsible for the incident without any proof. Further, regarding your "still waiting for justice", read my first comment in this news article and you'd know who is responsible. And, my dear doctor you also need to do some soul searching and need to come out of the anti-Pakistan propaganda. Not all the Pakistanis are terrorists - and ironically the most dangerous of the terrorists currently found in Pakistan are funded by none other but the Indian intelligence agencies.
@Lala Gee: I think your comments re witness is premature. Kasab was sub judice and that is why he could not be questioned by judicial commission. In last few hrs or two days ago Supreme Court upheld the death sentence. What it means is that he is no longer sub judice. Now he is a death row inmate and is free to talk to the judicial commission. I think the road map is that Judicial commission will return to India shortly to talk to Kasab and other witnesses. I expect things to move lot faster and by the end of October 26/11 trial in Pakistan will have minimum of one conviction. This will pave the way for the visit.
@Lala Gee: As usual a double face. You want more info on 26/11 and will not give any info about India's role with TTP and Baloch. Early last year, many TTP terrorists were caught and bought before your Courts and were freed. Then there is the case of "missing" persons from Baloch. Hope that those who have made them "missing" must have got proof.
@Lala Gee: Your comment is insensitive. As a Marathi whose father was a civil servant in Mumbai, although not living in India at the moment, I feel sad that there are people with your mentality, thinking and ideology in this world. You also come across as a very aggressive person. When Mumbai was attacked we did not know who it was and what was going to happen next. And we are still waiting for justice. Do some soul searching and then you will realise what is the essence and meaning of your comments.
What happened in Mumbai was deplorable and unacceptable. But it was part of the chain reaction or fall out of what is happening in Afghanistan since 1979. Pakistan is bearing the brunt of it; India has borne some of it. Pakistan is the shield between India and the mess in Afghanistan and suffering untold misery. So lets' not blame each other; lets' work together because our destiny is intertwined. As far as visiting Pakistan, I do not see it will serve any purpose than photo-op.
@Bharat: We also don't want to see your PM Manmohan Singh (MMS) in Pakistan sir. Don't send him to Pakistan because his tour shall be in vain and useless and also the talks between Indian PM and Pakistani leadership shall be only non-result-oriented,time and money wasted......
@ayesha azeem:
Neither we want our PM to go to your country.
@M.Ahmer Aili: "never forget it that Indian leaders have mentioned it repeatedly and emphasized on it that Pakistan-India co-operation has been necessary to eradicate terrorism".
Correct but incomplete. The complete statement would be :Indian leaders have mentioned it repeatedly...eradicate terrorism emanating from Pakistan".
@Lala Gee: India has handed over transcripts of the court proceedings of Qasab. ALso all information received on HEadley from US interrogation and court proceedings plus information rceived from Abu Humza. In addition to that there are a list of IP addresses and sim card numbers , voicelogs and so on. The expectation is not that the entire case should rest on what is provided by India. The expectation is that when planning for a couple of years went on in Pakistan, then Pakistan will investigate and follow up leads within Pakistan if it is sincere about trying to prosecute the 26/11 planners. Insteaad we see HAfiz Saeed and his lieutenants making public hate speeches in Islamadbad and Rawalpindi.
Compare that with how Samjhauta Express was handled. India did not just tell Pakistan that your citizens have died so you provide evidence to us - no. Instead because all the planning clearly happened in India, it went after and prosecuted associated people. Colonel Purohit that Pakistanis love to ask about is in jail. Pakistan givernment has no say and Pakistan establishment is insincere about getting the culprits punished and it is obvious even to Saudis who extradited Abu HAmza despite Pakistani requests not to do so.
Manmohan Singh may truly believe in peace but knows he cannot deliver until and unless there is a peace dividend from the electorate. Currently people want to see the perpetrators of 26/11 brought to justice so he cannot make concessions irrespective of his wishes. Unless there is some agreement to convict all the criminals involved he is never likely to visit Pakistan. Of course the Foreign Ministers will continue to make meaningless noises and visits to each country.
@Lala Gee: You are completely wrong. Even before your Judicial Commission came over to India, they were informed that that will not be allowed to question the witnesses and yet they agreed to go. Then there is the question of the seven suspects still in Pakistan jail from Nov. 2008 till now. Why are they still in jail when there is no evidence against them? Finally, India has asked for a voice sample of Hafiz Saeed. What is stopping you? Pakistan has agreed that the attack was carried out by their 'Non-State actors". So all the proof is inside Pakistan and it will not do anything because concluding this case will lead it all the way to the top people in Pakistan.
@Peace lover: @Deepjyoti Gogoi: Zardari invited Manmohan Singh to visit Pakistan not the Pakistani nation and this invitation is Zardari's personal matter/opinion and never forget it that Indian leaders have mentioned it repeatedly and emphasized on it that Pakistan-India co-operation has been necessary to eradicate terrorism
"Conditional diplomacy: ‘Proper atmosphere’ needed for Pakistan visit: Indian PM"
You are very right in saying that. Indian government, politicians and media created super hype of Mumbai terror attacks and needs to be scaled down. Every Pakistani knows that the Indian intelligence agencies are behind TTP and BLA terrorists creating havoc in Pakistan on daily basis, but yet the Pakistani government and media did not create any hysteria or hate campaign against India. Indian government and people needs to learn how to act and react in a mature manner and how to control their manic tendencies.
"he pushed for action against India-directed terrorism and said that expeditious conclusion of the Mumbai terror attack trial will be a “major” Confidence Building Measure in bilateral relations."
Dear Mr. Manmohan Singh:
If you remember it was India who refused to facilitate the law to come to "expeditious conclusion" by denying the defense lawyers of the accused their legal right to cross question the witnesses. You already know that the laws and practices of both India and Pakistan are same, then how can you expect that the courts of Pakistan ignore the laws of the country and just follow your whims. If anyone is hindering the "expeditious conclusion" to punish the accused masterminds of Mumbai terror attacks, it is the Indian government herself.
@BlackJack: Ms Ayesha Azeem does her madarassa proud! ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ She reflects the warmth and welcome of Pakistani hospitality!
@ayesha azeem: Wow that was really crude.
Pakistan is so desperate to ses the indian PM visit them. They want India to help them manage their isolation for no one believes Pakistan on anything.
This is what I think will happen: (1) Hafiz Saeed and other culprits shall go missing intentionally within Pakistan and Pakistan shall claim that they have no knowledge their whereabouts. Establishment shall also claim that he has fled the country and issue Interpol Red alert and also go for arrest warrants. Meanwhile, Hafiz Saeed and his associates will be in the safe houses as honored guests of GHQ. (2) Hafiz Saeed and his associates shall feel betrayed. Unable to be in the limelight and feeling frustrated in isolation, they shall start releasing various statements from their safe houses. This would embarrass the Establishment that may also fear getting exposed of its complicity. (3) Hafiz Saeed and his associates may try to flee to another Al Quaida controlled, terror infested country. If they are successful in their attempts, they shall expose the establishment from their new sanctuary. (4) If at any stage the Establishment feels threatened, it can organize an encounter to silence Hafiz Saeed and his associates in a fake escape attempt or resisting arrest.
@ayesha azeem - do you think anyone cares to visit pakistan?
@ayesha azeem: Veena Malik is already in India for service, so thats no incentive. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ And Yes you are Terrorists very much. So I guess its time to turn down the invite.
and finally a slap.
It has been my assessment for a long time that in Pakistan there is no constituency for good relations with India, Some people talk goody-goody, perhaps for effect or for sounding reasonable. But when it comes to the brass tacks no one means his words. Let me say for the umpteenth time in these columns that we in India believe that from the moment of its birth Pakistan has believed and lived the dream that Kashmir rightfully belonged to Pakistan because the people of Kashmir were predominantly Muslim. For the record, Pakistan, its leaders, and its people speak for the Kashmiris' right to self-determination: what they mean is merger with Pakistan. It does not occur to anyone that 1971 knocked out that argument: if there could be two Muslim nations in the subcontinent, there could be three or more. For Kashmiris the choice should have been between Pakistan, India, and independence, but Pakistan conveniently takes shelter behind the Indian Independence Act of July 1947 which did not speak of independence for any princely state: they all had to decide between India and Pakistan. Besides, much water has flowed under the bridges since then. If Kahmiris have to have a choice, it will have to be Pakistan, India, or independence. At the same time how Kashmiris are to be treated is a matter between Kashmiris and the Indian government: Pakistan has no locus standi in the matter. As it is, Pakistan is in illegal occupation of one third of the state. Let's talk about that and about the Northern Areas which were illegally annexed by Pakistan. As long as Kashmir remains an unresolved question, there is no possibility of good India-Pakistan relations.
why cant we talk on same groundssssssssssssssss
Why does Pakistan want an Indian PM visit so badly ?
True. Indeed a 'proper environment' must be there before Singh's visit. These days Pakistan is enduring its nightmare . . . the end of which is not in sight.
ok,Mr.singh...but, What about samjota express blast...
No Muslim or Hindu from India, particularly from Mumbai, would be happy if Dr. Manmohan Singh visits Pakistan before the culprits of Mumbai attacks are brought to justice. Even Bollywood, dominated by Muslims, cancelled the visiting Pakistani artists from performing at the Sa-Re-Ga-Ma-Pa musical contest. These Pakistani artists were already in India and were told by their Bollywood sponsors that their appearances have been cancelled. Their anger was very much visible.
Rehman Malik's spin tales of "non-state actors from both countries" only infuriates India more. He can spin stories for local consumption only at the cost of loosing internationally and making things worse for Pakistan.