Islamabad: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee would take part in the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) summit in Islamabad in January, but would not have bilateral talks with any Pakistani leader, a private Pakistani TV network, which interviewed External Affairs Minster Yashwant Sinha said today (Nov 20).

According to Geo TV, Sinha said the Indian Prime Minister would attend the Summit, but would not hold any one to one meeting with any Pakistani leader to discuss bilateral issues.

There was speculation in Islamabad that Vajpayee would meet his Pakistani counterpart Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, if not President Pervez Musharraf to formally kick-start the composite dialogue.

In the excerpts of the interview aired by the channel, Sinha also strongly refuted Pakistan's oft repeated allegations that Indian Consulates in the Afghan cities of Kandahar and Jalalabad were promoting terrorism against Pakistan and also warned that Islamabad would be held responsible if any staff members of the Indian missions in these two cities were attacked.

"This is totally baseless and unfounded propaganda being carried out by Pakistan. We know that," he said while referring to allegations levelled by Jamali and Interior Minister, Faisal Saleh Hayat.

"Pakistan says the missions were organising training camps. This is totally baseless allegation. "If they have a shred of evidence, please ask your Interior Minister to submit it to Afghan Government, which is ultimately responsible for the decision. It is not for Pakistan to decide whether we open a consulate in a third country or not. It is the Government of that country which will determine it," Sinha said

Wondering why Pakistan was reluctant to forward the evidence to Afghanistan, he said, "Please submit the evidence. Why have they not submitted the evidence? They have not done so because the allegations are baseless."

Sinha also said that Pakistan would be held responsible for any attack on the Indian consulate staff in these two cities. "If any harm comes to any member of the Indian staff in Jalalabad and Kandahar, we will hold Pakistan responsible for it," he said.

PTI