PM bluntly tells Pak not to allow terrorism against India

YEKATERINBURG, Russia: "My mandate is to tell you that Pakistani territory should not be used for terrorism against India," was the blunt message Prime Minister Manmohan Singh conveyed to President Asif Ali Zardari.

The message, conveyed in front of television cameras when the two leaders shook hands before their closed-door meeting on the sidelines of multilateral-forum deliberations, was so sharp that the President was apparently embarrassed.

"Please let them go," Zardari remarked to Singh, wanting the journalists to leave before they could carry on with their conversation in the top-level contact between the two countries after the Mumbai terror attacks in November.

Noting that terrorism is haunting the Asian and Central Asian regions, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh underlined the need for "genuine" cooperation among countries on a global scale to resolutely defeat the menace.

Addressing the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit here, he said India is seeking a conducive external environment for its sustained high economic growth which is necessary to meet its developmental objectives.

"We wish to see peace, prosperity and stability in the region that the (SCO) Organization represents. We have a lot to gain and learn from each other. It is in this spirit that we approach our engagement with the Organization and its different organs and bodies," Singh said.

"It is imperative that we resolutely cooperate with one another and on a global scale to resolutely defeat international terrorism," Singh said.

He pointed out that the growth of the Indian economy at an average rate of 8 per cent over the last five years has enabled the country to generate higher investible resources to cater to the needs of our rural economy, the social sector and infrastructure.

"It has also opened up opportunities to intensify our interaction with the outside world in the areas of trade and investment, science and technology, and in the revival of the global economy," Singh said.

Talking about the global financial crisis, he said the economic gains that have been made in the past are now threatened by it.

"We can no longer delay giving concrete shape to the concept of sustainable development. The development world needs access to financial resources and environment friendly technologies, especially in energy, transportation, manufacturing and agriculture," the Prime Minister said.

"We need technology innovations for reduction of energy use by industry and other sectors. We need massive action for afforestation, drought proofing and flood protection. We need action to protect the glaciers that feed our river systems," he said.

Speaking about India's desire to forge closer ties with the SCO countries, he said there is a lot to be gained through strengthening connectivity between the member nations and India.

"We would like to cooperate in finding innovative means to strengthen people-to-people contacts, exchanges of business persons and scholars and trade, investment and technology flows.