WASHINGTON, Jan 10: India’s Home Minister L.K. Advani on Thursday met US President George W. Bush, and said he had received an assurance that the United States expected Pakistan to “abandon terror as an instrument of state policy”.

Bush dropped by a White House meeting between Advani and national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, in an unofficial, yet highly symbolic move which the White House said was designed to underscore close US ties with India.

“The president conveyed to me that he expected Pakistan and its leader General Musharraf to take all necessary steps in fighting terror,” Advani said while talking to reporters after the meeting.

“He had done it in the case of the Taliban, and the president expects him to do it in the case of India also and abandon terror as an instrument of state policy.”

The White House assessment of Bush’s remarks however, differed significantly in tone from Advani’s interpretation of the conversation.

“The president (Bush) told Minister Advani that he has urged President Musharraf to take appropriate steps against extremists operating in and from Pakistan,” White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said.

“The president also stressed the importance of solving the Indo-Pakistan differences through diplomatic and political means.”

Advani launched a five-day visit to the United States on Wednesday by lashing out at Pakistan over the Dec 13 attack on India’s parliament.

Advani, number two ranked minister in the cabinet, described his meeting with Bush as “the most important discussions of my tour”.—AFP