Singh at the inauguration of Cyber Towers. (PTI)

Port Louis, April 1: Manmohan Singh today said both India and Pakistan have the ?responsibility? of ensuring the safety of passengers on the first bus from Srinagar to Muzaffarabad.

Militants have warned Kashmiris against taking the bus and threatened them with ?dire consequences? if they do. Even before the list was made public officially, they had come out with the names of passengers cleared to take the first bus.

?It is the responsibility of both the governments to work for the security and safety of the passengers until they return home,? the Prime Minister said when asked if he would take up the matter with Pakistan.

Fielding questions at a news conference on the last day of his three-day trip to Mauritius, Singh also touched on the controversy over local clearances required that had threatened to stall the India-Pakistan one-dayer at Delhi?s Ferozeshah Kotla, scheduled to be attended by Pervez Musharraf.

The Prime Minister described it as a ?minor hiccup? which ?we will overcome?. ?The caravan will move on?.

In Delhi, the cloud over the match lifted this morning and it was announced that the one-dayer would go ahead as scheduled.

Singh was a little more forthcoming today on his proposed meeting with the Pakistan President, which, he said, could happen either on April 16 or 17, the day of the match.

?We are willing to discuss all matters which have a vital bearing on the relation between the two countries. We are not against discussing any issue, we are not afraid of discussing any issue which Pakistan wants,? he said when asked about the agenda.

Some questions on ties with Mauritius, however, caught Singh unawares.

Asked, for instance, if 32 Indians languishing for years in the island?s jail on charges of drug trafficking would be sent back to India to serve the rest of their sentence, he said he ?did not have a chance to discuss the matter? with Mauritian leaders. ?When I go back, I will discuss it with the foreign office,? he added.

At this point, Indian high commissioner P.S. Haer tried to state the official position. ?Then please go ahead and say what you have to,? Singh told him in a tone with a discernible rough edge.

Haer said an agreement to facilitate their release awaited the Union cabinet?s approval. The Indian position was spelt out at a news conference that the high commissioner and Shashi Tripathi, secretary (west), foreign ministry, addressed yesterday.

But the Prime Minister was not briefed about the matter, written about copiously in the Indian and Mauritian press, despite the overwhelming presence of foreign ministry officials in his delegation. It included, apart from Tripathi, joint secretary in the PMO Sujata Mehta and spokesperson Navtej Sarna.

On visa relaxation for Mauritians wanting to visit India ? Mauritius has allowed visa on arrival ? the ministry?s position, Tripathi said, was that India could not reciprocate by making an exception for the island nation and not the other African countries.

Singh, however, indicated he had no such problem. ?When I go back, I will apply my mind (to the visa relaxation). Persons of Indian origin must be allowed to travel to India without hassles.?

The Prime Minister also cleared the air on the purpose of his visit, which came months before the elections in Mauritius. ?My visit is not in any way meant to influence Mauritian politics. That is entirely the concern of Mauritian politicians and the people,? he said.