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India Warns Pakistan Ties May Be Harmed by Mumbai Probe Tension
Jan. 15 (Bloomberg) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilanis reaction to Indias dossier on the terrorist attacks in Mumbai may harm ties between the nuclear-armed nations, the Foreign Ministry in New Delhi said.Gilani told parliament two days ago the dossier contains information rather than any evidence of Pakistani involvement in the attacks. Gilani called on India to accept Pakistans proposal for a joint inquiry, adding the government in Islamabad wants to cooperate with its neighbor and uncover the full facts. It is ironic that information and material assembled after painstaking investigations of more than six weeks was just dismissed out of hand, Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash said, responding to Gilanis comments. Obviously, India will do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. India may break off business, transport and tourist links with Pakistan unless it receives cooperation in investigating the events in Mumbai, the Times newspaper reported this week, citing an interview with Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram. India blames Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba for the Nov. 26-29 attacks that left 164 people dead and is demanding the government in Islamabad extradite those involved. India presented Pakistan and other nations with a dossier of evidence Jan. 5, saying it proved the involvement of Pakistani nationals. Gilani said Pakistan was examining the information, which has been sent to the Interior Ministry. The results will be shared with the Indian government in due course, he said. Indias army chief General Deepak Kapoor said military confrontation would be the last resort if diplomatic and economic options failed to result in action being taken against the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks. We in India are keeping all our options open, he said in a televised news conference yesterday. It is not to raise any kind of hysteria for war. It will depend on how things progress. India is aware Pakistan has deployed troops in its eastern sector along the border and the army has factored this in its planning if at any time it has to undertake operations, Kapoor said. That is not a concern for us, he added. Pakistans Foreign Ministry said Kapoors comments were most unfortunate, Agence France-Presse reported. India continues to ratchet up tensions, which is certainly not helpful to the cause of peace, security and stability, AFP cited ministry spokesman Mohammad Sadiq as saying. Posted by: Steve White 2009-01-15 |
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