Manmohan wants normal ties with Pak, Cong not supporting him: Qureshi

In an apparent bid to drive a wedge between Indian government and the ruling party, Pakistan has said that “well-meaning” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was keen to normalise ties with it but “elements in Congress” did not support him.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi criticised India for refusing to have “meaningful” talks till Pakistan acts

PM Gilani and Manmohan Singh

against terrorism, saying the contention had been “dragged too long” and “nobody is buying that anymore”.
In an interview to PTI in Thimphu, he insisted that Pakistan has moved “considerably” against perpetrators of Mumbai attacks and the reply to India’s dossiers recently was “not to gain time” but to get additional information so that the case can be taken to its logical conclusion.
Dialogue “is the only sensible thing to do. Two prime ministers of this region, two important countries of this region, have to sit and work out (bilateral issues),” said Qureshi who is here to attend the two-day SAARC Summit that got off on Wednesday.
He said Pakistan was always ready for dialogue but “it seems India is not yet ready, perhaps because of domestic political considerations”.
Elaborating on his contention, he said, “I am convinced that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wants to move forward”.
“I think, he (Singh) is a well meaning individual, he has a vision, he wants to leave a legacy behind, he is an academic, he is an economist. He understands the benefits that can accrue to the region if there is normalisation between two important players of the SAARC region. But it seems that elements within the Congress are not giving him the support he should be given”.
He, however, did not identify the “elements” within the Congress whom he was referring to.
He further said both India and Pakistan have recognised that dialogue is the only way forward and. “If that is so, how can we have dialogue not engagement? Pakistan has never shied from the engagement. We have said we are ready”.
On India’s emphasis that there can be no meaningful dialogue till Pakistan takes credible action against cross-border terrorism, Qureshi said, “That has been dragged too long, nobody is buying that anymore because Pakistan has moved considerably forward on that score on the perpetrators of Mumbai”.
He said seven of the perpetrators of Mumbai attacks have been arrested and the trial is going on.

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