Power in Pakistan rests with the army: Manmohan
Washington: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reached the United States of America on Sunday for a four-day state visit.
Singh's talks with US President Barack Obama will be wide-ranging and touch on several bilateral issues - including the Indo-US civil nuclear deal.
The Indian Prime Minister spoke exclusively to Fareed Zakaria on CNN about many issues including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Indo-US civil nuclear deal and China.
On terror and Pakistan
Fareed Zakaria: Do you feel that Pakistan has done enough to bring to justice and to give you intelligence about the terrorists who planned the Mumbai attacks?
Manmohan Singh: No, they have not done enough. They have taken some steps. I have discussed this matter with (Pakistani) Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani when we met at Sharm-al-sheikh, the joint statement which we issued said. H reassured us that Pakistan will do all that is possible to bring to justice the perpetrators of Mumbai massacre. Hafeez Saeed is roaming around freely. Maulana Azhar Masood and other terrorist elements, the Lashkar-e-Toiba, which according to Pakistan's own admissions is actively involved in perpetrating massacre in Mumbai, they are moving around freely. The conspiracy took place in Pakistan so a friendly Pakistani government which would be equally determined to tackle terrorism in Pakistan would take the case to its logical conclusion but that has not happened.
Fareed Zakaria: Who do you think is running Pakistan right now?
Manmohan Singh: Well I think the most important force in Pakistan is the army. There is democracy, we would like democracy to succeed and flourish in Pakistan but we have to recognise that the power today rests virtually with the army.
Fareed Zakaria: Do you feel you have a partner in Pakistan with whom you can negotiate?
Manmohan Singh: Well I dont know if we have a partner right now. I think when General Pervez Musharraf was there I used to ask him and he said well I am the army, I represent the armed forces, I represent the people. Now I dont know who to deal with.
Fareed Zakaria: Do you see any prospects for productive negotiations on Kashmir with Pakistan because you were quite close to some kind of a deal with General Musharraf before he had to leave office?
Manmohan Singh: Well I publicly stated that there can be no re-drawing of borders but our two countries can work together to ensure these are borders of peace, that people to people contacts grow in a manner in which people do not worry if they are located on this side of the border or that side. If trade is free, trade people to people contacts and our both countries competing with each other to give a life of, to enable to live a life with dignity and self respect... those are issue we can discuss, reach an agreement.
Pakistan's role in Afghanistan
Fareed Zakaria: What is Pakistan's objective in Afghanistan in your view?
Manmohan Singh: I sometimes fear that Pakistan's objectives are not in harmony with the US's objectives. Pakistan sometimes feels that the Americans are short term maximisers. That if the pressure continues they will not have the courage to stick on, that they will walk away and then Afghanistan will become a natural backyard for Pakistan to influence its policies and programs.
Fareed Zakaria: Do you think the Pakistani army will ever take on the Afghan Taliban? Those terrorist elements that attack not Pakistanis but Afghans, Indians, perhaps Westerners
Manmohan Singh: I'm not certain whether the Pakistan army will take on those elements.
ON nuclear deal
Fareed Zakaria: Do you worry that there might be undue restrictions placed on these transfers and that the Obama administration may be too concerned about issues of nuclear proliferation and will not transfer technology to you?
Manmohan Singh: We are a nuclear weapon state but we are a responsible nuclear power. We have an impeccable record of not having contributed to unauthorised proliferation of these weapons of mass destruction so I think India does require greater consideration of the global community. India needs to industrialise, India needs to operate on the frontiers of modern science and technology and therefore restrictions on dual use technologies affect our growth. We need an annual growth rate of eight to nine per cent to get rid of chronic poverty ignorance and disease which still afflicts millions and millions of people in our country and in that context industrialisation and transfer of dual use technologies can play a very important role.
On China
Manmohan Singh: The rise of China has contributed handsomely to sustaining the growth momentum in the world economy and as far as India is concerned, I have said it many times before that India and China are not in competition. We believe that there is enough economic space for both our countries to realise the growth ambitions of our respective countries and that is the attitude that guides us in dealing with China.
