Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that India will not like to see terrorists reducing the civilian government in Pakistan to a nominal one.

In an interview to Newsweek, published on the eve of his state visit to Washington, Mr Singh also claimed that in Afghanistan, the United States and Pakistan did not have the same objectives.

The Indian prime minister arrives in Washington on Sunday on a four-day trip meant to solidify a relationship transformed under the Bush administration by a nuclear deal, a two-fold increase in trade and investment and unprecedented security collaboration.

Expressing grave concern over the rise of terrorism in Pakistan, Mr Singh noted that the terrorists, once confined to the tribal areas, had now moved to other parts of the country.

‘I think it has very serious consequences for our own security. We would not like terrorism to lead to a situation where the (Pakistani) civilian government is only a nominal government,’ he warned.

‘Don’t you think that’s the situation now?’ he was asked.

‘I’m not saying that’s the situation now. We would like democracy to succeed in Pakistan. But obviously now Al Qaeda and the terrorists have a grip over several parts of Pakistan,’ Mr Singh replied.Talking about Pakistan’s role in Afghanistan, Mr Singh said: ‘As far as Afghanistan is concerned, I’m not sure whether the US and Pakistan have the same objectives. Pakistan would like Afghanistan to be under its control. And they would like the United States to get out soon.’

For India, he said, the most important issue is to see the terror groups in Pakistan brought under control. India had been the victim of ‘Pakistan-aided, -abetted, and -inspired terrorism’ for nearly 25 years.

He said that New Delhi would like Washington to use all its influence to persuade Pakistan to desist from that path. ‘Pakistan has nothing to fear from India. I have said on many public occasions that the destinies of our two countries are interlinked. We should both be waging war against poverty, ignorance, and disease, which afflicts millions of people in our poor countries.’

Mr Singh warned that if the United States left Afghanistan, Al Qaeda could get another foothold in that country and the withdrawal might also lead to a civil war.

‘I sincerely hope the United States and the global community will stay involved in Afghanistan,’ he said. ‘A victory for the Taliban in Afghanistan would have catastrophic consequences for the world, particularly for South Asia, for Central Asia, for the Middle East.’

Mr Singh noted that in the 1980s, ‘religious fundamentalism’ was used to defeat the Soviet Union. ‘If this same group of people that defeated the Soviet Union now defeat the other major power (America), this would embolden them in a manner which could have catastrophic consequences for the world at large,’ he warned.