Islamabad - Pakistan's military officials told local media
on Saturday that tensions were running high with India following the
Mumbai terrorist attacks and that the upcoming days were very crucial
for the region, while the country's Foreign Minister Shah Mamhood
Qureshi expressed hope that the crisis would soon be overcome.
The Urdu-language Geo news channel cited unnamed officials as
saying that the Indian government was escalating the situation by
accusing Pakistan of involvement in the Mumbai carnage that resulted
into the deaths of 183 people and left more than 300 injured.
Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee warned the Pakistani
leadership by phone of serious consequences, officials speaking on
condition of anonymity told a select group of journalists in
Islamabad.
It has been made clear to the US and NATO that if the situation
worsens along the India-Pakistan border, Pakistan would withdraw its
troops from the Afghan-Pakistan border, the English-language DawnNews
TV quoted officials as saying.
According to the DawnNews report, Pakistani officials said that if
the situation with India was not controlled it would not be possible
for Pakistan to continue the fight against terrorism.
Pakistan, a key ally in the US-led fight against terrorism, has
deployed more than 120,000 soldiers in its tribal region to contain
cross-border attacks of Taliban and al-Qaeda militants from its
tribal region on international forces in Afghanistan.
But Pakistan's Foreign Minister, who was visiting India as the
Mumbai carnage took place, denied that his Indian counterpart had
sent any threats to his country.
He told reporters at a televised press conference in Islamabad
that he received a called from Mukherjee when he was in India but
'his tone was not threatening. He was only requesting for
cooperation.'
Qureshi admitted there were some tensions between the nuclear-
armed neighbours over the issue but hoped they will 'by the grace of
God overcome this hiccup in our relationship.'
India has suspected some elements within Pakistan, with some
officials directly pointing the finger at Pakistan-based Islamist
group Lashkar-e-Toiba (Let), of involvement in the well-coordinated
attacks in India's commercial capital.
RR Patil, Home Minister of Maharashtra state of which Mumbai is
the provincial capital, was quoted by the Indian PTI news agency as
saying the terrorists had came from Pakistan's southern port city of
Karachi.
The Pakistani foreign minister assured full support to New Delhi
in a probe into the tragedy. 'Any entity or group involved in the
ghastly act, the Pakistani government will proceed against it.'
In the meantime he warned: 'We should hope for the best, but we
should plan for the worst.'
When asked to explain what he meant by worst Qureshi replied: 'You
know what the worst is.'
Pakistan and India, two nuclear-armed southern Asian neighbors,
have fought three wars during their 61 years of existence and were on
the verge of a fourth in 2002.
But the tensions between them have lessened since the launch of a
peace dialogue in 2004 to resolve differences over a number of
issues, including Kashmir, the Himalayan region over which both lay
claim.
The two countries nevertheless suffer from mutual distrust. The
peace process stalls for months after almost every major terrorist
attack in India by Islamic militants, who oppose reconciliation
between Islamabad and New Delhi.
In an initial conciliatory approach, Pakistani Prime Minister
Yousaf Raza Gilani on Friday promised to send his intelligence chief
to India at the request of his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh, but
the decision was reversed hours later.
Gilani spokesman Zahid Bashir said that instead of Inter-Services
Intelligence (ISI) Director General Ahmed Shuja Pasha, an ISI
representative would be dispatched to New Delhi to cooperate with the
probe.
Bashir did not give any reason for the reversal, but many believe
the decision was taken due to Pakistani public pressure.
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