Wednesday, July 19 2006 12:35 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Indicative of the country's anger over terror strikes, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday (July 18,2006) said it was 'inevitable' that India 'reflects' on its relations with Pakistan in the backdrop of the 'ghastly tragedy' that struck Mumbai.

Acknowledging that the Indo-Pak peace process had 'suffered' for the time being after the blasts that killed 200 people, Singh added, intriguingly, "We will look at whatever options that are there".

He did not elaborate.

Answering questions on postponement of talks between the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries onboard his special aircraft while on his way home from St.Petersburg, the Prime Minister, however, did not see this as a 'setback' to the dialogue process.

"It is inevitable in the backdrop of this ghastly tragedy that we reflect on our relations with Pakistan," he said while maintaining that the destiny of the people of South Asia was closely interlinked.

On the Indo-US nuclear deal, the first anniversary of which falls today, Singh ruled out any fresh commitments on India's part. He expressed confidence that Washington would take into account fully India's concerns and work within the parametres of the agreement.

"Our concerns are that whatever we have committed in the July statement, the Separation Plan and the March two statement (when President George W Bush visited India)--those should be the guiding factors for the US legislation," he said.

Turning to domestic politics, the Prime Minister said the Cabinet will take up the Office of Profit bill, returned by President for reconsideration, to decide to bring it before Parliament in the same form or to modify it.

"We haven't had a meeting of the Cabinet on this(office of Profit bill issue). In a day or two, we will hopfeully settle that issue also," he said in reply to a question whether the measure would be brought to Parliament commencing its Monsoon session next week without changes.

Earlier in May at the height of disqualification controversy, the President had returned the bill raising questions over the implication of including the names of offices over which disqualification petitions were pending before the Election Commission and the applicability of the law with retrospective effect.

Singh indicated that he may have an External Affairs Minister in the Cabinet. Asked whether he will have a full-fledged minister for handling the key ministry now looked after by him, Singh said 'hopefully' and went on to add it can be at any time.

On the Iran nuclear issue, he spoke against 'coercive diplomacy' adding it was in the interest everybody that the problem was resolved through dialogue giving Tehran some more time.

On the WTO Doha Round of negotiations, he said there was no flexibility in the European Union. He said french President Jacques Chirac had made it clear that the European Commission Chairman Borosso did not have the mandate to go beyond the position that EU had already taken.