The Hindu Business Line : India forces Pak to send ISI chief

NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD: Angered by the Mumbai terror strikes, India on forced Pakistan to send its ISI chief here to provide evidence about the role of Pakistan- based “elements'' in the “outrageous'' attacks as it made clear that the bilateral ties would b e hurt if these don't stop.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani that investigators had found involvement of Pakistan-based elements in the attacks in the commercial capital. He told Gilani that Pakistan shou ld send its ISI chief Lt Gen Shuja Pasha to New Delhi “to cooperate in the investigations of the Mumbai attack and for sharing certain information''.

Pakistan agreed to Dr Singh's proposal and said Pasha would travel to New Delhi soon, for which modalities would be worked out by the two sides. During the telephonic conversation with Dr Singh, Zardari assured him that Islamabad “will cooperate with I ndia in exposing and apprehending the culprits and masterminds behind'' the attacks in Mumbai.

The President told Dr Singh “non-state actors wanted to force upon the governments their own agenda but they must not be allowed to succeed. We should not fall into the trap of the militants.''

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee called up his counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who is in New Delhi, and bluntly told him that if “outrages'' like Mumbai attack don't stop, it would be “impossible'' to ensure a “leap'' in the bilateral relatio ns that is desired. - PTI

Prev: Nine terrorists killed, one arrested: Maharashtra Dy CM
Next: ‘Outrages’ like Mumbai attack will affect bilateral ties: Pranab

Business Line | NUS Index |