Nov. 23 – Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh admitted that he didn’t know who to deal with or negotiate with in Pakistan during an interview with Fareed Zakaria on CNN yesterday.
Mr. Singh is on a four-day state visit to United States. “I think the most important force in Pakistan is the army,” he said. “And there is democracy. We would like democracy to succeed and flourish in Pakistan. But we have to recognize that the power today rests virtually with the army.”
On the question asking if he felt he had a partner in Pakistan whom he could negotiate with, Mr. Singh said: “Well, I don’t know whether we have a partner right now.” He said that when General Pervez Musharraf was the president of Pakistan: “I used to ask him. And he said, ‘Well, I am the army. I represent the armed forces. I represent the people.’ Now I don’t know who to deal with.”
On the disputed Kashmir issue with Pakistan, he was reportedly close to some kind of a deal with Musharraf says Zee News. Mr. Singh emphasized that the borders cannot be redrawn although more contact between the two sides may make the border issue irrelevant.
“Well, I have publicly stated that there can be no redrawing of borders,” he said “But our two countries can work together to ensure that these are borders of peace, that people-to-people contacts grow in this manner in which people do not, I think, worry whether they are located on this side of the border or that side.
“If trade is free-trade, people-to-people contacts and our both countries competing with each other to give a life of – to enable the people on both sides to lead a life of dignity and self-respect – those are issues which we can discuss. We can reach agreement.”
