US won't impose itself on Indo-Pak ties: Obama

New Delhi/Mumbai, Nov 7 (PTI) Ahead of his strategic
dialogue with the Indian leadership, President Barack Obama
Sunday made it clear that the US would not "impose" itself on
Indo-Pak relations even as he said that Pakistan's progress in
fighting terrorism was not quick enough.
After a hectic 26-hour stay in Mumbai, where the
focus was on business and economic issues, the US leader flew
in this afternoon to New Delhi where Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh set aside protocol to greet him personally.
During the packed morning schedule in Mumbai, a
relaxed Obama and Michelle joined school children in a dance
performance before he addressed a town hall interaction with
students at which he fielded questions ranging from Mahatma
Gandhi to why US was fighting shy of declaring Pakistan a
terrorist state.
He said his administration's foreign policy has been
to engage aggressively with Pakistan to communicate that they
wanted nothing more than a stable, prosperous and peaceful
Pakistan.
"And we will work with Pakistani Government in order
to eradicate this extremism that we consider a cancer within
the country that can potentially engulf the country," he said.
The US President said the Pakistan Government
understood now that the potential threat that exists within
its own borders.
"There are more Pakistanis who have been killed by
terrorists inside Pakistan than probably anywhere else.
Progress is not as quick as we liked," he told a student who
asked why Pakistan is an important ally for the US and why it
was not declaring that country as a terrorist state.
Maintaining that it is in India's interest to have a
stable and peaceful Pakistan, Obama expressed the hope that in
time trust develops between India and Pakistan and dialogue
begins perhaps on "less controversial issues building up to
more controversial issues".
"India and Pakistan can prosper and live side by side,
this will not happen tomorrow but needs to be the ultimate
goal. The US can be a partner but cannot impose this process.
India and Pakistan have to arrive at their own understanding,"
he said.

Replying to a question on Afghanistan, Obama said
there are going to be some elements that are affiliated to
Taliban, Al-Qaeda, LeT or other organisations.
"These are extremists that are irreconcilable will be
there and there will need to be a military response to those
who would perpetuate the kind of violence that we saw here in
Mumbai in a significant ongoing way or the kind we saw on 9/11
in New York City," he said.
A young student questioned the US President about
jihad and what he thought of it.
"Well, the phrase jihad has a lot of meanings within
Islam and is subject to a lot of interpretations," he replied,
adding the overwhelming majority of those who practice Islam
believe in peace, justice, fairness and tolerance.
He said everyone recognised that this great religion,
in the hands of a few extremists, has been distorted to
justify violence towards innocent people and the challenge is
how to isolate them.
"I think all of us have to fundamentally reject the
notion that violence is the way to mediate our differences,"
he said.
On economy, he sought greater access to Indian
markets to protect American interest, saying countries that
trade with it would have to reciprocate and open up.
"There has to be reciprocity in our trading
relationship. And if we can have those kind of conversations
-- fruitful, constructive conversation about how we produce
win-win situations. Then I think we will be fine," he said.
After landing in Delhi, Obama accompanied by Michelle
visited Humayun's Tomb and spent around 40 minutes at the 16th
century monument.
Obama will meet Prime Minister Singh at a private
dinner at his residence on Sunday night. PTI SK
RBT