Pakistan hasn't done enough to control Jaish, Lashkar: Manmohan

ON BOARD PM'S SPECIAL FLIGHT: Setting the tone ahead of his meeting with President Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said Pakistan has not done enough to control elements like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Toiba and hinted he might try to pin Islamabad down on its commitment not to allow its territory for launching terror attacks against India.

Ahead of the meeting this week on the margins of the NAM summit in Havana, he made it clear that both the countries should move forward on the dialogue process but said terrorism surely acts as a "dampener" and violence "vitiates" the atmosphere.

"Our position is quite clear. Terrorism today constitutes a threat for both countries. And, therefore, I believe that consistent with joint statements of January and September 2004 and April 2005, it is incumbent on us to work together in a manner that inspires confidence that both of us are very serious about tackling the menace of terrorism. That is the minimum that I feel should commit our two governments, our two systems to work to achieve," Singh told journalists accompanying him on the two-nation tour of Brazil and Cuba.

He said both he and Musharraf would discuss all aspects of relationships between the two countries and added India was not afraid of any discussion.

"I will share with General Musharraf our perceptions of what is the role of external elements in promoting terrorism in our country.  We will have an exchange of views on all issues particularly the commitment of Pakistan not to allow its territory and that includes parts of Jammu and Kashmir which is in their occupation to mount terrorist attacks against India," he said.

The Prime Minister dismissed as not correct the suggestion that the peace process between the two countries had slowed down saying both the nations had moved considerably over the last two years.

Transportation routes were opened up not only between two parts of Jammu and Kashmir and two Punjabs but also between Munabao and Kokrapar, he said.

Also, two years ago one could not say India would allow the Hurriyat people travel freely wherever they wanted to go, Singh said.

"They have been going in all directions. It is an unprecedented development. People of both the countries, including the two parts of J and K, are meeting frequently to discuss possibilities of cooperation. So, I don't know if it is correct to say that no progress has been made. We have been discussing various issues as part of the composite dialogue," he said.

The Prime Minister said the two countries can and should move forward in the dialogue process.

"But this terrorism will surely act as a dampener. I have said more than once that I can't carry the Indian public opinion with me if terrorist acts continue to plague our polity. Whatever be the cause of that, it puts a dampener on India-Pakistan relations. Whether in Mumbai or elsewhere if these events take place that certainly vitiates the atmosphere," Singh said.

Asked whether he would prefer to talk to a democratically-elected leader or a "dictator" like Musharraf, the Prime Minister said Gen Musharraf is the President of Pakistan and India had to deal with whoever was in power in Pakistan.

"And I always said destinies of the two countries are very strongly inter-linked and full development potential of the sub-continent cannot be realised unless there is reconciliation between India and Pakistan."

To another question on democracy in Pakistan, he said, "the general belief is democracy is good for Indian people and is good for the people of the world. But what system prevails in Pakistan is for the people of Pakistan to decide."