Act against LeT, Obama tells Gilani

NEW DELHI: President Barack Obama has asked Pakistan prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani to act against perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks, saying this would improve Indo-Pak ties. This followed a meeting he had with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, where the PM reiterated the Indian position on talks with Pakistan.

Mr Obama was clearly effecting a balancing act: Assuring Mr Singh that he was sensitive to Indian concerns on terrorism, supportive of India’s request for access to David Headley and Indian efforts in Afghanistan, while telling Mr Gilani that he was extremely `fond’ of Pakistan and expressing appreciation for Pakistani efforts following the US consulate attack in Peshawar.

But the push for action against perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attack comes in the face of Indian refusal to open full-fledged talks with Pakistan till action is taken against the terror infrastructure. Mr Singh was quite clear in his 50-minute meeting with Mr Obama that India was open to Indo-Pak talks focused on the core issue of terror but that anything more would take place only after Islamabad acted against the terror infrastructure.

Foreign secretary Nirupama Rao also noted that Mr Obama, during the meeting, favoured the ``reduction of tensions between the two countries.’’ She added that Mr Singh again ``stressed on the need for Pakistan to take convincing action against those accused of involvement in the Mumbai attacks.’’

But apart from pushing Pakistan on the 26/11 perpetrators, Mr Obama did not offer anything but assurances to India. Mr Obama said he was supportive of India’s request for access to LeT operative David Coleman Headley. But it is well known that the access is contingent on the US legal process. Similarly on Indian concerns about security assistance to Pakistan, Mr Obama merely said he was aware of Indian sensitivities.

Mr Singh, however, went into the meeting with clear set of issues related to Pakistan. He pointed out there was ``no will on the part of Pakistan to act against the Mumbai attack perpetrators. He also raised the ``tremendous rise’’ in infiltration across the line of control, activities of the Lashkar-e-Toiba and mentioned Hafiz Saeed and Ilyas Kashmiri who continued to cry jihad against India.

Mr Obama in turn noted that the two countries had concluded negotiations on a reprocessing agreement and hoped that the nuclear liability bill would be passed as “expeditiously.’’

A report in the Wall Street journal on the meetings noted that there was more warmth in the meeting between Mr Obama and Mr Gilani with the US president reminiscing about his trip to Pakistan.