26/11 was an Indian plot, claims Pakistan - Times Of India
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/NEW DELHI: Abu Jundal's disclosures — about the involvement of Pakistan's official agencies in the 26/11 plot and Islamabad's determined effort to block the deportation of one of the Mumbai attacks' masterminds to India — threaten to strain the bilateral ties.
Pakistan that worked hard to block Jundal's deportation for almost a year on grounds that he was actually Riyasat Ali from Pakistan, suddenly switched track to audaciously suggest that Jundal being an Indian national suggests that 26/11 could have been an Indian plot.
Even as Jundal gave details of the collaboration of Pakistan's state agencies in the 26/11 plot, its Interior Ministery adviser Rehman Malik blithely said India should focus on the role of Indians like Jundal, Fahim Ansari and Sabahuddin Ahmed in the Mumbai attacks. "Zabiuddin is Indian, he was caught in India, he did everything in India. Why are you blaming Pakistan? He is your citizen. That means your agencies failed to control their citizens. Please have a look at your system as well," Malik said.
Malik claimed that all the recent terror attacks in India had been the handiwork of Hindu terrorists. Claiming he had warned home minister P Chidambaram of this, Malik said, "We warned you (India) three years back that Hindu extremism is coming to your country. Your own Taliban are emerging there. So now we've seen the result and I wish best of luck to India that the law enforcement agencies must do something to stop it," he said.
The remark, seen as insensitive at a time when Jundal's arrest has revived the painful memories of the terrorist assault on Mumbai, rankled even more because Pakistan's efforts to block the deportation of the terrorist have confirmed doubts in India that Islamabad has no intention to keep its promise to punish the 26/11 perpetrators. They also coincided with Jundal's disclosure about the elaborate effort that Lashkar and ISI made to make 26/11 appear a handiwork of Hindu extremists.
Rehman's outburst followed a strong statement by Chidambaram about the complicity of Pakistan. "India's claim of the Pakistan state's involvement in Mumbai's 26/11 terror strike has been proved with the confession statement of Abu Jundal," Chidambaram stated in Thirvananthapuram on Wednesday.
"There has been a state involvement in the 26/11 attack and we have been constantly claiming this. Now Abu Jundal has confirmed this to the interrogators," he told reporters.
The home minister also disclosed that he had on Tuesday got a note from Malik requesting him to share with Islamabad information that was gathered about Jundal.
"We will do that in due course. But I will insist that Pakistan keeps its promise and gives us the voice samples of all the persons whose list was given. Let's see how Pakistan reacts. It is Pakistan which is under pressure, not India," he said.
The exchange confirmed that the arrest and subsequent revelations are sure to contribute to a period of chill in the bilateral relations, because, despite everything, Pakistan's actions on terrorism do not make the cut.
Chidambaram's ire is centred on the fact that for months Pakistan tried hard to stop the deportation of Zabiuddin, alias Jundal to India. It was a clear sign that Pakistan retained interest in keeping their terror assets intact, and Chidambaram will now up the ante on voice samples from Pakistan. That will become the new benchmark of Pakistan's cooperation on terror.
26/11 was an Indian plot, claims Pakistan
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/NEW DELHI: Abu Jundal's disclosures — about the involvement of Pakistan's official agencies in the 26/11 plot and Islamabad's determined effort to block the deportation of one of the Mumbai attacks' masterminds to India — threaten to strain the bilateral ties.
Pakistan that worked hard to block Jundal's deportation for almost a year on grounds that he was actually Riyasat Ali from Pakistan, suddenly switched track to audaciously suggest that Jundal being an Indian national suggests that 26/11 could have been an Indian plot.
Even as Jundal gave details of the collaboration of Pakistan's state agencies in the 26/11 plot, its Interior Ministery adviser Rehman Malik blithely said India should focus on the role of Indians like Jundal, Fahim Ansari and Sabahuddin Ahmed in the Mumbai attacks. "Zabiuddin is Indian, he was caught in India, he did everything in India. Why are you blaming Pakistan? He is your citizen. That means your agencies failed to control their citizens. Please have a look at your system as well," Malik said.
Malik claimed that all the recent terror attacks in India had been the handiwork of Hindu terrorists. Claiming he had warned home minister P Chidambaram of this, Malik said, "We warned you (India) three years back that Hindu extremism is coming to your country. Your own Taliban are emerging there. So now we've seen the result and I wish best of luck to India that the law enforcement agencies must do something to stop it," he said.
The remark, seen as insensitive at a time when Jundal's arrest has revived the painful memories of the terrorist assault on Mumbai, rankled even more because Pakistan's efforts to block the deportation of the terrorist have confirmed doubts in India that Islamabad has no intention to keep its promise to punish the 26/11 perpetrators. They also coincided with Jundal's disclosure about the elaborate effort that Lashkar and ISI made to make 26/11 appear a handiwork of Hindu extremists.
Rehman's outburst followed a strong statement by Chidambaram about the complicity of Pakistan. "India's claim of the Pakistan state's involvement in Mumbai's 26/11 terror strike has been proved with the confession statement of Abu Jundal," Chidambaram stated in Thirvananthapuram on Wednesday.
"There has been a state involvement in the 26/11 attack and we have been constantly claiming this. Now Abu Jundal has confirmed this to the interrogators," he told reporters.
The home minister also disclosed that he had on Tuesday got a note from Malik requesting him to share with Islamabad information that was gathered about Jundal.
"We will do that in due course. But I will insist that Pakistan keeps its promise and gives us the voice samples of all the persons whose list was given. Let's see how Pakistan reacts. It is Pakistan which is under pressure, not India," he said.
The exchange confirmed that the arrest and subsequent revelations are sure to contribute to a period of chill in the bilateral relations, because, despite everything, Pakistan's actions on terrorism do not make the cut.
Chidambaram's ire is centred on the fact that for months Pakistan tried hard to stop the deportation of Zabiuddin, alias Jundal to India. It was a clear sign that Pakistan retained interest in keeping their terror assets intact, and Chidambaram will now up the ante on voice samples from Pakistan. That will become the new benchmark of Pakistan's cooperation on terror.
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