Pak beginning to recognise India not a "mortal threat": Obama

I / Washington April 30, 2009, 14:05 IST

Confronted with the Taliban offensive, Pakistan is beginning to recognise that viewing India as a "mortal threat" is misguided and that its biggest threat came internally, US President Barack Obama said today while voicing "grave concern" over the "very fragile" government in Islamabad and the situation in the country.

Notwithstanding the developments in Pakistan, Obama was confident that its nuclear weapons will not fall into militant hands. "I am confident, we can make sure that Pakistan's nuclear arsenal is secure.

"I am gravely concerned about the situation in Pakistan, not because I think that they're immediately going to be overrun and the Taliban would take over in Pakistan," Obama, who completed 100 days in the White House today said at his third press conference since assuming office on Jan 20.

"I'm more concerned that the civilian government there right now is very fragile and don't seem to have the capacity to deliver basic services... For the majority of the people," Obama said in a critical assessment of the Zardari-led government in Islamabad.

Obama said he was more concerned that the civilian government in Pakistan "did not seem to have the capacity to deliver basic services: schools, health care, rule of law, a judicial system that works for the majority of the people."

"As a consequence, it is very difficult for them (Pakistan government) to gain the support and the loyalty of their people," the US President said.

"You're starting to see some recognition just in the last few days that the obsession with India as the mortal threat to Pakistan has been misguided, and that their biggest threat right now comes internally.

"You're starting to see the Pakistani military take much more seriously the armed threat from militant extremists," Obama said.

On Pakistan's nuclear arsenals, he said: "I'm confident that we can make sure that Pakistan's nuclear arsenal is secure. Primarily, initially, because the Pakistani army, I think, recognises the hazards of those weapons falling into the wrong hands."