Pakistan on Thursday remained non-committal on whether it would act on information shared by India on Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal, days after New Delhi pushed Islamabad to take swift action against the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks of November 2008.
“We have said this repeatedly and I think that it should require no miscommunication or doubts on each other’s intentions because both our countries follow [a] very, very similar system which means that we know what is required to try somebody and what is not,” Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said.
“...I have repeatedly maintained that and all Pakistan officials have maintained that we mean what we say,” she said.
She was replying to a question on whether Pakistan would take action based on information provided by India during the recent Foreign Secretary-level talks in New Delhi on Jundal — who handled those involved in the 26/11 carnage.
During their meeting, Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai had shared with his counterpart Jalil Abbas Jilani the information gathered from Jundal who revealed that he, along with LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, was in the control room in Pakistan during the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
Mr. Mathai also shared the information on Pakistani passport and Pakistan’s domestic identity cards issued to Jundal in the name of Riyasat Ali, indicating the involvement of Pakistan’s State agencies in the 26/11 attacks.
Ms. Khar, who is here to participate in the ASEAN Regional Forum meeting, said: “Today the problems we face, the menace of terrorism is a common problem and if anybody can convince me that there is any other country in the region which suffers from it more than Pakistan I would be happy to sit down and have a conversation.”
Calling for greater cooperation in information-sharing, Ms. Khar said it was important to share information with each other before sharing it with the media.
“I think it is also important that we are able to share information with each other before we share information with the media because that is also a trust building measure because it shows that we are serious about resolving the issue rather than making an issue out of the issue. I think that’s the message,” she said.
Keywords: Hina Rabbani Khar, Sir Creek, Siachen
In fact this is a well planned trick of pak to divert the attention of india as well as world from the vital issue of terrorism which is being operated from its soil.The state sponsered terrorism is most vital issue at this juncture.Next on the prority is border firing issue. Rest others will follow latter on.If pak is not interested and not ready to cooperate to solve the issue of terrorism and punish the perpetraters of 26/11,it is useless to have dialoque with that country.
What is the use of discussions with Pakistan when it is not willing to hand over to India, despite repeated requests, persons like the LeT chief and Dawood Ibrahim who are wanted on terrorism related charges? As the investigations of the Mumbai terrorist attack have confirmed, Pakistan was fully involved in lauching that attack.
Resolution on various disputed issues is not just the matter of willingness to sort it out, it is more about attitude and flexibility in approaches. In past we had several meetings, high level talks and visits by top political leaders between both the nations but it all went in vain and reason is conspicuous and that is the lack of flexibility. Again we may have visits and bilateral talks but it will not work out unless we are ready to bend. It applies on both the side of the redcliff border.India has always been skeptic about the political "stability" in Pakistan. It may resume the talks with new jeal and direction but when it seems to reach at some point a sudden unexpected political storm (in pakistan) drags the issue in limbo.
India must preempt any grandiose designs from across the border. India must tell Pakistan that only issue between us is Pakistan's devilish plans to propagate terrorism in Indian soil. Period. I mean if Pakistan anticipates that bilateral ties would resolve India gifting away its territory, it is living in fools paradise. India must also tell the same in open to forum to all including its citizen. As a citizen of India, I do not know what India's policy are? The silence from the center is deafening.
Pakistan is only serious about resolving disputes with India in foreign capitals including India. When their officials get back to Islamabad they forget the commitments they had made abroad and obediently oblige to the diktats of their military leaders. More than anything else, it is their inability to stand up to the mighty Army-ISI coalition that is perpetuating distrust in Indo-Pak relations because we don't know whether the agreements we sign with them or the decisions we take to work together will ever be materialized as they all await Army's approval. No matter how much Pakistan harp on Kashmir, I don't think they are yet ready to talk about it. They know that discussions on Kashmir will inevitably involve territories occupied by them and in any mutually acceptable resolution, they will have to compromise with their position which is sure to rile the Army. A Pakistan that flip-flops on simple issues like MFN can only be 'willing', not 'able' to solve a serious mess.
Pakistan is only interested in issues that it has personal and selfish gains to attain.
Pak terror and border firing are not of interest to Pakistan.
There is double speak from Pakistan, that even they are vistims of terror. But the fact that they created these terror groups, both hostile and friendly to them, is being ignored.
While there was no actual agreement on Siachen, there have been several agreements that Pakistan would not allow terrorists to operate against India from its territory. Those agreements continues to be flouted openly. However, Ms Khar cannot be held responsible for those violations. She is part of the civilian leadership and they have no control over what their military does. There is little value in making agreements with the civilian leadership on security matters since they are in no position to deliver on their side of the bargain.
Pakistan's foreign and defense policies framework for India and Afghanistan fall in Army's domain. During the last round of negotiations, Pak army has continuously been firing on border and violating ceasefire agreement during the days of negotiations, as it has been doing previously during the last few decades. It conveys the message that army is not on board as has been being claimed by civilian Govt. Without army being on board, any such statement carries no value.
Moreover, Hina Rabbani is talking of only Sir Creek and Siachen coz Pakistan perceives these likely agreements to be favorable to Pakistan. Such statements playing to the gallery are not worth the words.
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