NEVER called Dr Singh a village woman: Sharif

In an attempt to end the controversy over his purported remarks about his Indian counterpart, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that he never called Manmohan Singh a "village woman".

Sharif also denied charges that Pakistan was sponsoring terrorism in India, saying his country was itself a victim of the menace.

Just a day before the two prime ministers met on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Sunday, a Pakistani TV talk show host had claimed that Sharif had described Dr Singh as a dehati aurat (village woman) during an informal chat over breakfast with journalists.

The talk show host withdrew his remarks after an Indian journalist, who too was present at the interaction, said Sharif had made no such remarks.

Sharif told the media in London that he never called Dr Singh a "village woman", Pakistani dailies reported today.

He said he was satisfied with the outcome of his meeting with Dr Singh.

He said external forces were involved in terrorism inside Pakistan and "far from being a sponsor, Pakistan was actually a victim of a foreign-funded and well organised wave of terrorism".

During his meeting with United States President Barack Obama and in his speech at the UN General Assembly, Dr Singh had referred to Pakistan as the "epicentre of terrorism".

Sharif said he had discussed with Dr Singh "all important issues", including Kashmir, sharing of river water, Siachen, Sir Creek and Balochistan.

Image: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ' Photograph: Reuters