India PM urges Pakistan on terror

--BBC--

Mr Singh's statement is bound to disappoint President Zardari India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said his government would seek to mend fences with Pakistan provided it cracked down on militants. In his address to the newly-constituted parliament, Mr Singh said India would meet its neighbour "more than half way" if it acted against terror. Mr Singh's statement indicates no dramatic shift in policy. Delhi has always said it would engage in talks if Islamabad tackles militants blamed for Mumbai and other attacks. India suspended peace talks with Pakistan after last November's deadly Mumbai attacks which killed nearly 170 people, nine of them suspected gunmen. India blamed Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba for the attacks. Islamabad has acknowledged that the attacks were partly planned by militants operating from its territory. The attacks targeted international hotels, a train station and a Jewish outreach centre. 'We expect action' "It is in our vital interest to make peace with Pakistan but it takes two hands to clap," Mr Singh said in his address to parliament. "If the leadership of Pakistan has courage, determination and statesmanship to act against terror, I assure them we will meet them more than half way. "We expect the government of Pakistan to take strong, effective and sustained action to prevent terrorism directed against India and use every means ... to bring to justice the perpetrators of terror attacks, including the Mumbai attacks," he said. Mr Singh's statement is bound to disappoint Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari, correspondents say. President Zardari called on India on Monday to resume bilateral talks "unconditionally". He said it was in the interest of both nations to keep alive the dialogue on all issues, including terrorism. India pulled out of talks following the Mumbai attacks in November 2008. It has since accused Pakistan of "not being serious enough" about bringing the perpetrators behind the Mumbai attack to justice. The recent release on bail of Hafiz Saeed, head of the Islamic charity Jamaat-ud-Dawa, has further worsened relations between the two countries. The charity is accused of being a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba, the group India says was behind the attacks. Jamaat-ud-Dawa - listed by the US as a terrorist organisation - denies any links with militants.