Wait, push and pull - the long awaited joint statement

It was a three-hour stakeout for journalists at the plush Maritime Jolie Ville resort with the Indian and Pakistani prime ministers closeted in a room with their delegations for what was the most anticipated meeting of the NAM summit.

It was a three-hour stakeout for journalists at the plush Maritime Jolie Ville resort here with the Indian and Pakistani prime ministers closeted in a room with their delegations for what was the most anticipated meeting of the NAM summit.

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Journalists and camera crews, not just from India and Pakistan, but from other countries as well waited patiently looking up at the open corridor for signs of the talk between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani ending.

As the minutes ticked past, rumours flew and the many media personnel moved from one end of the vast lobby to another, hoping that Gilani, who had called on the Indian leader, would emerge to give a few soundbytes.

When he finally did, all hell broke lose as camerapersons and journalists jostled with each other to get close to him.

Surrounded by a tight ring of security, Gilani himself looked quite taken aback at the aggression of the media, so anxious to catch even one word.

Manmohan Singh's press adviser Harish Khare was caught in a similar melee when he climbed down the stairs holding a sheaf of joint statement copies.

Journalists tried to snatch copies from his hand and some who happened to be close to him even got their clothes pulled as the crowds pushed and shoved.

One journalist who got a copy found to her shock that a hand emerged from nowhere to attempt to snatch it from her. He got an earful. And she managed to hold on to the precious piece of paper.