Date:10/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/10/stories/2009011059151200.htm

National

Sharing of material helped nail Pakistan’s denial

Sandeep Dikshit

‘In all cases, all actionable leads were destroyed. This is the so-called cooperation we received so far’

NEW DELHI: A day after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) wrapped up briefing the envoys here, India feels it has “nailed” Pakistan’s policy of denial and prevented Islamabad’s efforts to “hyphenate” the victims and perpetrators of terror.

Diplomatic sources said External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee had finished writing to 184 counterparts, detailing the links between elements in Pakistan and terrorists behind the Mumbai attack. The MEA also shared the material about the terror strikes with over 130 heads of mission.

“This has dealt with one of their excuses — that they don’t have evidence — although it defies imagination why they would need material because after all, the Lashkar-e-Taiba was their creation. By sharing this material with everyone, we have nailed their denial,” said the sources.

Although Pakistan has promised to examine the material, the sources were sceptical whether it would travel down the road of booking the masterminds of the attack on the strength of its past actions in similar cases of terror attacks.

India had handed material related to Pakistan’s involvement in terror strikes at least 10 times. Evidence was presented four times at the joint anti-terror meetings; once at the Foreign Secretary level talks and five times during Home Secretary level meeting. “The result? In all cases, all actionable leads were obliterated. This is the so-called cooperation we received so far,” said the sources.

Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani promised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Colombo last August that the Kabul Embassy suicide attack would be investigated.

“We are still waiting for details from their so called investigations,” said the sources while dismissing Islamabad’s offer of a joint probe as a “cheeky exercise in futility given their track record.” They referred to Mr. Mukherjee’s observation about the state of the criminal justice system in Pakistan which could not investigate Benazir Bhutto’s assassination and had to seek the help of the United Nations.

“This same set-up is talking of joint investigations. This is nothing but another attempt to deflect attention,” said the sources. But they were open to the idea of both sides conducting parallel investigations and sharing the results with each other. It was in this context that India was giving other countries the message that Pakistan should not think it was taking action in anybody’s interest. This terrorism was bound to spill over and affect other countries. This was clear from the targeting of Jews and foreigners from western countries during the Mumbai attacks, the sources said.

“We have been victims of terror from Pakistan for 30 years. It has been their state policy to inflict 1,000 cuts on our polity. We are expecting and calling upon Pakistan to honour its commitments. We are not making a demand. It is in everyone’s interest that they do so.”