Trust but verify, says PM on ties with Pakistan

In the wake of home ministerial talks, prime minister Manmohan Singh today pinned "some hope" on developing peaceful ties with Pakistan but made it clear that while moving to develop trust, India would "verify" how anti-India terror groups are dealt with.

Reflecting a guarded approach of his government, Singh said only time will tell how events would unfold in the context of relations with Pakistan.

"The home minister (P Chidambaram) was in Pakistan last week. You must have read what he has stated. I think there is some hope," Singh told reporters accompanying him on his way back home after attending the G-20 Summit in Toronto.

Prime minister was replying to a question that while he was working hard on making peace with Pakistan, how India proposes to go ahead in case of another 26/11 type attack.

Chidambaram held talks with his Pakistani counterpart Rehman Malik in Islamabad on June 25 and pressed for "visible" outcome in its action against terrorism directed against India and ensuring punishment to all those behind the Mumbai attacks.

Chidambaram specifically mentioned JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, two army Majors and some others involved in 26/11, against whom India wants urgent action.

"As I have said in dealing with Pakistan our attitude has to be - trust - trust but verify. So only time will tell which way the animal will turn," Singh said.

Singh had yesterday pressed US president Barack Obama to convince Pakistan to take strong action against terrorists involved in anti-India activities in that country following disclosures made by LeT operative David Headley.

Singh, who met Obama on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit, briefed him about the peace initiatives with Pakistan but made it clear that Islamabad should abide by its commitment of not to allow terrorism emanating from its soil directed against India.

The activities of Headley came up for discussion in the light of information coming out of Pakistani-American LeT operative after his interrogation by Indian investigators.

Chidambaram had last week met his Pakistani counterpart Rehman Malik and pressed for prosecution of more people involved in the 26/11 attacks.

India and Pakistan had in April decided to resume talks at the foreign secretaries and foreign ministers level after a gap of 18 months. Foreign secretary Nirupama Rao was in Islamabad last week and External Affairs Minister SM Krishna will travel to Pakistan on July 15 to meet his counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

India had put the Composite Dialogue process on hold after the Mumbai attacks, blamed on the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba.