ISLAMABAD: The Indian High Commission here on Thursday denied a report in the Dawn newspaper that Pakistan turned down a proposed visit by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on March 27 as India ruled out that it would be accompanied by a "breakthrough" on any of the major issues between the countries.

According to a letter the High Commission said it had sent to Dawn and made available to journalists, Dr. Singh "has accepted President Musharraf's invitation [to visit Pakistan]" and "looks forward to his visit, which will, however, take place when substantive outcomes can be expected from it."

The letter said, "We have not reached that point yet and have not discussed dates for the Prime Minister's visit."

The Dawn report said Dr. Singh was ready to travel to Pakistan on March 27, but the visit did not materialise because of "foot-dragging" by Islamabad because it would have been only a "symbolic" visit, "intended mainly to ensure President Musharraf's participation in the SAARC summit" in New Delhi in the first week of April.

New Delhi wanted him to attend the meeting, but President Musharraf was "hesitant" about going to India once again without Dr. Singh having visited Pakistan even once. It was in this context that India proposed March 27 as a possible date for the Prime Minister's visit.

"Islamabad politely communicated to New Delhi that there was no point to a visit that would have nothing meaningful or tangible to show for it in terms of dispute resolution," the report said, quoting "well-informed insiders".

According to the newspaper, Pakistan was keen on a "statement of intent" on Kashmir and an agreement on joint ventures in the disputed Sir Creek waters during Dr. Singh's visit.

"New Delhi was obviously not happy about it given that this was a particularly sensitive matter for a government that has been boasting about the success of its Pakistan policy," the report commented.

India kept the whole episode "under wraps" to "save itself embarrassment," and Pakistan also did not come out with it "probably to avoid another controversy or as a diplomatic courtesy to New Delhi," according to the report.

It said this "partly explains" why External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and the Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri did not hold a formal bilateral on the margins of the Asia-Europe meeting in Hamburg last week.

The External Affairs Ministry had approached Pakistan for a bilateral in Hamburg, and Pakistan subsequently indicated a date and time through its mission in Berlin, but New Delhi never confirmed the meeting, the report said.

The Indian High Commission's letter to Dawn denied that New Delhi had sought a meeting between the Foreign Ministers in Hamburg, as they had already held a "detailed discussion" on the sidelines of the SAARC summit.

"The Ministers had a chat on the margins of the ASEM Meeting. This is how most bilateral discussions are held at multilateral conferences," the letter said.

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