INDIA'S POLITICAL PARTIES HOPEFUL OF POSITIVE OUTCOME FROM PAKISTAN PRESIDENT'S VISIT

NATURAL WITH ENGLISH AND URDU SPEECH

DURATION: 2.08

SOURCE: ANI

TV AND WEB RESTRICTIONS: NO ACCESS BBC

India's political parties hopeful of positive outcome from Pakistan President's visit.

Visit of Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari to India generates a streak of hopes among the ruling Congress and main opposition parties who hope that an early way out regarding 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed would emerge soon.

SHOWS:

NEW DELHI, INDIA (APRIL 08, 2012) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC)

1. SPOKESPERSON OF INDIA'S RULING CONGRESS PARTY, RASHID ALVI, WALKING TOWARDS MEDIAPERSONS

2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SPOKESPERSON OF INDIA'S RULING CONGRESS PARTY, RASHID ALVI, SAYING:"President Zardari is satisfied and Dr. Manmohan Singh, our Prime Minister he has also expressed his satisfaction; we hope this conversation and this meeting, will bring both the countries together. According to our Prime Minister all issues have been discussed including Hafiz Saeed."

3. ALIVI' FACE

4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SPOKESPERSON OF INDIA'S RULING CONGRESS PARTY, RASHID ALVI, SAYING:"It is immaterial to think whether Mr. Zardari is in position or not but he is the President of Pakistan and Prime Minister of India has talked to President of Pakistan, whether he is weak or strong, we do not want to comment on it."

5. SPOKESPERSON OF INDIA'S MAIN OPPOSITION THE BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY (BJP) SHAHNAWAZ HUSSAIN, SPEAKING TO MEDIAPERSONS

6. (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) SPOKESPERSON OF INDIA'S MAIN OPPOSITION THE BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY (BJP) SHAHNAWAZ HUSSAIN, SAYING:"Mr. Zardari came to India on a private trip and offered prayers at the shrine of Sufi saint Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer but this has generated political waves in New Delhi. The Indian Prime Minister must have raised the issue of Hafiz Saeed. But we want that he should be handed over to us as soon as possible. Pakistan can't keep providing shelter to the person behind the Mumbai attacks. The conspirers of the Mumbai attacks have become a hurdle in the growth of relations of both countries. The trend of visits between the two countries can keep happening but our ties can improve if Saeed is handed over to India. If the Indian Prime Minister visits Pakistan only after this happens, then a better message would be transpired."

7. HUSSAIN TALKING

STORY: The private visit of Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari to India on Sunday (April 08) generated a streak of hopes among the ruling Congress as well as the main opposition parties.

They hoped that an early way out regarding 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed would emerge soon.

Earlier in the day, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh discussed the problem of militancy with Zardari and mentioned the activities of Hafiz Saeed in the context of bringing the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks to justice.

Manmohan Singh invited Zardari for a luncheon meeting before the Pakistani President left for the northwestern India's Ajmer city to pay obeisance and offer prayers at the shrine of Sufi saint Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.

Sharing the party's views with the mediapersons, spokesperson of Congress Rashid Alvi said this visit by Zardari was a right step to usher positive results in bilateral relations between the two neighbouring nations.

"President Zardari is satisfied and Dr. Manmohan Singh, our Prime Minister he has also expressed his satisfaction; we hope this conversation and this meeting, will bring both the countries together. According to our Prime Minister all issues have been discussed including Hafiz Saeed," said Alvi.

However, he refused to comment on whether his party's thinks that Zardari's visit would have an impact or not.

"It is immaterial to think whether Mr. Zardari is in position or not but he is the President of Pakistan and Prime Minister of India has talked to President of Pakistan, whether he is weak or strong, we do not want to comment on it," added Alvi.

On its part, India's main opposition the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) welcomed Zardari's visit and his candid discussions with Indian Prime Minister.

However, the BJP's spokesperson noted that this trip would not hold much substance until the issue of Saeed was taken care of.

"Mr. Zardari came to India on a private trip and offered prayers at the shrine of Sufi saint Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer but this has generated political waves in New Delhi. The Indian Prime Minister must have raised the issue of Hafiz Saeed. But we want that he should be handed over to us as soon as possible. Pakistan can't keep providing shelter to the person behind the Mumbai attacks. The conspirers of the Mumbai attacks have become a hurdle in the growth of relations of both countries. The trend of visits between the two countries can keep happening but our ties can improve if Saeed is handed over to India. If the Indian Prime Minister visits Pakistan only after this happens, then a better message would be transpired," said Hussain.

Relations between the south Asian foes had warmed ever since Pakistan promised its neighbour most favoured nation (MFN) trade status in 2011, although a $10 million bounty offered by Washington for Lashkar-e-Taiba founder and the accused mastermind behind the 2008 attacks on Mumbai, Hafiz Saeed, stirred old grievances.

In a first visit by a Pakistani head of state to arch-rival India in nearly seven years, Zardari landed in New Delhi with his son and Chairman of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.