No invitation to visit Pak from Gilani: PM

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, during his interaction with the press after the conclusion of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, delivered some short, crisp answers on a host of issues.

When he was informed that Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had told the press that he had invited the PM to Islamabad and the latter had accepted the invitation, Dr Singh quipped to much laughter, "I am hearing it for the first time."

He acknowledged that "I did run into him twice and we exchanged pleasantries, and in fact, I complimented the prime minister on the passage of the Constitutional Amendment Bill, which I think makes the prime minister the more powerful personality in Pakistan's political system."

"But beyond that, there was no serious discussion on any other issue," he added.

Asked what he hoped to achieve in Bhutan in two weeks time on the margins of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation summit, when he will meet Gilani again, Dr Singh replied, "There is still time to think about the meeting in Bhutan. I think when we reach there, we will cross that bridge."

He responded with just a one-liner when he was asked about United States President Barack Obama batting for Pakistan on the issues of proliferation and the safety and security of its nuclear arsenal, which has raised eyebrows among the nonproliferation fraternity and intelligence familiar with A Q Khan's veritable black-market of nuclear know-how and technology.

"As far as our views are concerned, you have to read my statement (to the Nuclear Security Summit). That gives your our views in the matter," Dr Singh said.

When it had been pointed out to Obama that Pakistan had continued to enhance its nuclear weapons programme and there should be more pressure on Islamabad from both the US and the international community, he said, "I don't think Pakistan is playing by a different set of rules. I have actually seen progress over the last several years with respect to Pakistan's nuclear security issues."

Obama acknowledged that "I want to lower tensions in South Asia when it comes to nuclear programmes. And, I think the fact that Gilani came here, signed on to a communique and made a range of commitments -- that will make it more likely that we don't see proliferation activities or trafficking occurring out of Pakistan -- is a positive thing."

"I think that Prime Minister Gilani's presence here was an important step in assuring that we do not see a nuclear crisis anywhere in South Asia," he said.

Almost ruling out that Pakistan's nuclear assets were vulnerable to attempts by the Al Qaeda to acquire nuclear capability, Obama said, "I feel confident about Pakistan's security around its nuclear weapons programme. But that doesn't mean that there isn't improvement to make in all of our nuclear security programmes."

 "It's important to note that every nuclear power, every country, that has a civilian nuclear energy programme, has to take better steps to secure these materials. And Pakistan is not exempt from that, but we aren't either. And, that's the goal of this summit and that was the goal of the communique and the work plan that we put forward."

When Dr Singh was asked whether India will support a civilian nuclear deal between the US and Pakistan, he said, "Who am I to interfere with what goes on between Pakistan and the United States? That's a matter for these two countries to consider and decide."