Lahore/Islamabad:
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, who has arrived in India, said that he does not expect the issue of Hafiz Saeed to be the focus of his meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi. Mr Zardari's visit comes amid growing pressure on Pakistan to prosecute the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder for his role in the Mumbai attacks.
"My stance on Saeed is not different from that of my government. My visit to India is of a religious nature and I do not think Manmohan Singh will make me sit (and discuss only) this issue," Mr Zardari told reporters in a lighter vein at the Governor's House in Lahore.
56-year-old Zardari, who flew in to India today for a luncheon meeting with Dr Singh followed by a visit to Ajmer to pay obeisance at the shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, has been camping in Lahore for the past few days.
He was responding to questions on his meeting with Dr Singh against the backdrop of a $10 million bounty offered by the US for information leading to Hafiz Saeed's prosecution.
Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has already said in Parliament that the case of Hafiz Saeed is an "internal issue" of Pakistan. Mr Gilani further said that any evidence against Hafiz Saeed should be provided to Pakistan so that it can be examined by the country's independent judiciary.
In Islamabad, Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said Mr Zardari will invite Dr Singh to visit Pakistan by the end of this year during their meeting in New Delhi.
"President Zardari will invite Prime Minister Singh to visit Pakistan by the end of this year," Basit said.