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Vajpayee open to no-war pact with Sharief

India is not averse to signing a no-war pact with Pakistan, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has said.

''I am ready to hold talks with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharief on the contentious issue during my visit to that country on the Delhi-Lahore bus on February 20,'' he told newspersons abroad a special Air India aircraft.

Pointing out that India had already offered to negotiate with Islamabad on no-first use of nuclear weapons, Vajpayee said he would go to Pakistan with an open mind.

''Official talks have already been on with the two countries, and to elevate them (the talks) to a political level is not a problem. We are ready to talk on Kashmir and other issues at any level,'' he added, ''People want improved relations with Pakistan."

Vajpayee's remarks assume significance as the bilateral dialogue, currently conducted at the foreign secretary-level, could acquire the higher political plane.

Asked whether Sharief would accompany him back to Delhi on the bus, he said it had not yet been decided. ''If he travels to India, it will be a matter to rejoice,'' he noted.

The prime minister hinted that he would talk to other political leaders and invite them to board the Delhi bus. ''See, this (the bus trip) is a confidence-building step. I hope to yield good results while planning to raise the bilateral talks from official level to political level,'' he said.

Asked to comment about the recent attacks against Christians in Orissa and Gujarat, the prime minister expressed regret, but said the nature of attacks was not the same in the two states.

''No one was killed in Gujarat. It will be unfair to draw a parallel between the atrocities in the two states,'' he held.

Vajpayee said the killing of two tribal Christians last weekend in Kandhwal district of Orissa was 'not religious but a case of personal enmity.'

The prime minister ruled out the dismissal of the Orissa government on this score and said the state had been asked to order a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the matter.

Dismissing charges that the Sangh Parivar was gaining grip on the government, he said it consisted of independent organisations with their own thinking and approach.

About expanding the Cabinet, Vajpayee said: ''I will certainly go for it if I feel sure that an expansion would will help strengthen the ruling coalition.''

He downplayed criticism from various quarters over the Indian high commission in Britain having issued visa to controversial writer Salman Rushdie, and said the visa should have been given to the India-born novelist long ago.

During his busy schedule in Trinidad and Tobago, the prime minister held telephone talks with Om Prakash Chauthala, the leader of the Indian National Lok Dal, a constituent of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition at the Centre.

The INLD, which has four Members of Parliament, had threatened to withdraw support following the decision to hike the price of essential commodities.

UNI

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