New Delhi: Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz tonight (Nov 24, 2004) ruled out allowing Indian business houses to bid for Government assets being privatised by Islamabad saying time was not ripe for this.

"We are not in a 100 meter dash. It is a marathon," he said in reply to a query whether Indian entrepreneurs can bid for assets in Pakistan.

Spotlight: Kashmir is Not Negotiable

"I do not want to mince words. I think it is a bit premature for Indian entrepreneurs to bid and operate the assets which the Pakistan Government is privatising," he said during his interaction with the Indian businessmen in Islamabad.