India a 'mature democracy'; no threat from it to Pak: Zardari

Describing India as a "mature democracy", president Asif Ali Zardari has said there is no threat to Pakistan from it, even as he sought resumption of the composite dialogue process stalled since the Mumbai terror attacks.

President Asif Ali Zardari has said that there is no threat to Pakistan from India as one democracy must not fear another.

"There is a mature democracy in India, and a democracy does not attack another democracy," Zardari told a small group of journalists during an interaction over dinner at the governor’s house in this eastern city late last night. He said there was no threat to Pakistan from India.

Responding to a question on why India is reluctant to resume the composite dialogue that has been stalled since the Mumbai attacks, Zardari said he hoped that prime minister Manmohan Singh’s government will show maturity in this regard, as it is the only way to move forward.

Replying to another question on the Kashmir issue, he said, "I met Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh one-and-half-years ago, and talked with him over the Kashmir issue as well. I am optimistic that the issue will be resolved through dialogue."

Zardari dismissed the impression that Pakistan is "pleading" for resumption of dialogue with India in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks.

"A case against the suspects in the Mumbai attacks is in the court, and therefore I cannot comment. However, Pakistan believes in dialogue, and I think all outstanding issues with India can be solved only through talks," he said.

Zardari also spoke on other issues, including the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan's ties with the US. He said the US administration had taken him into confidence while framing its new Afghan policy.

"President (Barack) Obama had written me a letter, and even talked to me on phone before finalising his government’s new Afghan policy," he said.

"There is no difference between Pakistan and the US on any issue.... Pakistan-US relations have a long history. The US supported the recent transition from dictatorship to a democratic rule in Islamabad," he said.

However, he indicated that the US did not appear to be keen to transfer drone technology to Pakistan. Islamabad has been asking Washington to give it the drone technology so that Pakistani troops can themselves target militants in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.

"Both countries have different positions on the transfer of drone technology to Islamabad. For us, this is not a technology which cannot be given to us. But the US considers it a modern technology, and is reluctant in its transfer to us," he said.