"I am happy to meet you, but my mandate is to tell you that the territory of Pakistan must not be used for terrorism," Singh was quoted as telling Zardari.
Islamabad announced on Thursday that president Asif Ali Zardari will not attend the non-aligned summit in Egypt, smarting after what was perceived in Pakistan as a snub to him by prime minister Manmohan Singh in Russia.
Instead, Pakistan’s prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani will lead his country’s delegation to the meeting at Sharm El Shaikh.
After Russia, the two leaders had announced that their foreign secretaries would meet within a month to discuss terrorism directed against India from Pakistani soil. Zardari and Singh were to meet in Egypt after this. Depending on whether Islamabad took action against those responsible for last November’s Mumbai attacks, New Delhi would decide whether to continue with the composite dialogue or not.
It is not clear from the terse announcement whether the Pakistani PM and Singh will have a bilateral meeting in Egypt. Thursday’s announcement is linked to Pakistan’s irritation over Singh’s announcement in front of the international media, ahead of the talks, that he had come with a one-point agenda for talks with Zardari: telling Pakistan not to allow its territory to be used for strikes against Indian targets.
Though nothing was said at that time by Zardari or his delegation, the reaction to Singh’s statement in Pakistan was one of outrage. Some in India were unhappy with the government’s decision to break the ice, as Islamabad is seen as not having done enough to bring the perpetrators of 26/11 to justice.
Gilani is said to be closer to the Pakistani army than Zardari, who recently lost much of his political clout. Whether this means the foreign secretaries meeting will be put off is not known. But considering the mood, Islamabad will not be in a hurry to please India.
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