On Board PM's Special Aircraft: Maintaining that Pakistan has given explicit commitment to join India in the fight against terrorism, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday said the joint mechanism must inspire confidence in both countries and if it does not work "then we have to deal with consequences".
He said Islamabad had realised that things cannot be business as usual if terrorism was not under control and during his meeting with President Pervez Musharraf in Havana, the latter denied Pakistan's hand in perpetuating terror in India.
Musharraf also promised to "work together in future" which was the best India could get under the circumstances, Singh said. "We have now agreed on a new mechanism to deal with terrorism. The explicit mention that both countries condemn this scourge and will work together, I do think it is a new beginning," he added.
"I hope it works. But, if it does not work then also we have to deal with consequences," the Prime Minister told journalists accompanying him en route home from Havana.
He said the mechanism, which was yet to be worked out and put in place, "must be credible, inspire ocnfidence in both the countries and, therefore, we will have to look at the mechanics of the move with due care."
"Well, it is quite obvious to Pakistan that things cannot be business as usual if terrorism is not under control or if the government of Pakistan is seen not to be willing to work with us to control terrorism. I welcome that commitment as explicitly as it could be stated and reiterated in the statement we have issued.
"Gen Musharraf has assured me that Pakistan has no hand in perpetuating this. He did not go into the past. He said whatever has happened in the past, let's work together in the future and I believe, this is the best that we could get in the circumstances," the Prime Minister said.
"There is an explicit commitment on the part of Pakistan to say that they will go with us to do all that in their control to control the scourge." Singh rejected a suggestion that the US had a role in the agreement on the joint press statement issued by India and Pakistan in Havana.
"There was no question about the US. The world likes neighbours to work with each other. I totally deny any insinuation that whatever was done with Pakistan is at the behest of the US or any other country. It is a question of our own sovereign national interest," he said.
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The Prime Minister said he and Musharraf had very sincere and frank discussions on all issues and both agreed to find a via media to reconcile positions that India's borders cannot be redrawn and Pakista's stance that it cannot accept the Line of Control as a permanent solution.
"And I do believe that we should work in all sincerity out of the box to deal with the situation. We have committed ourselves to work sincerely to find credible solutions to all outstanding issues and that includes Jammu and Kashmir," he said.
The Prime Minister said resolving Siachen and Sir Creek issues were part of the commitment between the two countries. Asked about the fate of the mechanism if any more terror attacks take place against India, he said "let us not deal with a hypothetical question."
"I cannot say for example that we have got forever security for our country. Also, I can say is we have made an advance. Let us give it a try. Let us approach our state of reconciliation with all the sincerity that we can bring to bear," he said.
Singh said the last meeting between him and Musharraf in New York was in the background of what Pakistan had stated in the UN General Assembly. "They talked of self-determination and then everyone was naturally angry. It is unfortunate that meeting did not produce solid results. This time, my meeting with him was very frank, very crucial, there was no tension and I am very pleased with the outcome," he said.
Asked about the functioning of terror groups like JeM and LeT from Pakistani soil, he said the two countries would discuss all these issues. "Let's not jump the gun. Let this mechanism be in place. We will explore all the ways with which we can rid the sub-continent of the scourge of terrorism."
To a question whether the recent statements that Pakistan was also a victim of terrorism reflected a shift in stance, Singh said "there is no shift in stand. We are worried about cross-border terrorism. Wherever opportunities exist to take cooperative action to tackle this problem, to save human lives, we should toss all the balls in question of a safe and secure life for our citizens."
Asked about the chances of success in getting elements like Dawood Ibrahim extradited from Pakistan, he said all relevant issues should be discussed in the joint mechanism. "I cannot say that I have discussed what will be the outcome. This is an optimism which we must make use of constructively as much as we can. And as for the outcome we have to wait for it," Singh said.
When asked if the trust deficit with Pakistan has been bridged, Singh said "it is not a one-day process. We can choose our friends, we have to do business with our neighbours. General Musharraf is the ruler of Pakistan and, therefore, we have to learn to deal with him."
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