Never since the days following 9/11 has Islamabad received so many foreign dignitaries. Unlike the past, however, this time they have arrived to convey warnings and not-so-implicit threats. Condoleezza Rice, John McCain, Admiral Mike Mullen, Gordon Brown and John Kerry have all carried the same message: Promises are not enough. Pakistan must act rapidly and decisively to arrest and punish those behind the ten terrorists who targeted Mumbai. They were all convinced about three things: Pakistan's territory has been used as a launching pad by the Mumbai attackers, the attackers were Pakistanis and those who masterminded the attacks were also Pakistanis. Mr Gordon Brown has specifically named Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) for the attacks. Presumably the evidence had been provided by the American and British agencies. Pakistan will remain under scrutiny and unprecedented pressure till those behind the Mumbai attacks are located and punished. The common man in Pakistan remains unaware of the gravity of the situation. The responses vary from righteous indignation to concern at being made a victim of international conspiracy. Many people complain that the mounting pressure on Islamabad is uncalled for because the country is not involved in the Mumbai operation. This was the stand taken initially by President Zardari who had accused unnamed non-state actors for the terrorist attacks only to be snubbed by Condoleezza Rice who said it was the duty of the government to control such elements when they make use of its territory. Such was the alarm caused all over the world that the UN Security Council didn't take much time to hold Dawah responsible for the attacks. Even a dead man and one in a Saudi jail for the last three years were included in the list of terrorists. Those who struck India's financial hub with awesome professionalism had conveyed a message that similar attacks could be conducted in Beijing, Moscow, New York, London or Paris, who are all threatened by terrorists striking in the name of religion. Security Council had already put LeT on its list of terrorist groups. As Hafiz Saeed and a number of other Lashkar leaders are now working with Dawah, no proof was apparently needed to take the action. Pakistan urgently carried out the Security Council resolution. Dawah was immediately proscribed, its offices closed and bank accounts seized. Hundreds of its activists are reportedly in police custody including Hafiz Saeed and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi who is named by India as one behind the Mumbai attacks. President Zardari has promised to cooperate with India and suggested a joint probe. Thanks the treatment meted out to the banned outfits and their leaders in the past these assurances have failed to satisfy both Washington and London. It is being pointed out that banned organisations soon started working anew under new names while their leaders were set free after a few months in custody. What is being demanded now is a transparent probe to locate the handlers of the Mumbai attackers and to punish them irrespective of who they are. As there was a perception that LeT had links with the ISI in the past, FBI quizzed Ajmal Amir Kasab for five hours though it failed to find any connection. The ISI however is still under focus. Bruce Riedel, who advises Obama on South Asia, holds that "Mr Zardari has also promised to get control over the ISI and to stop its policy of both chasing and supporting terrorism in Pakistan." But he doubts if the Pakistani president has the ability to do so. There being a lack of trust in Pakistani agencies, both John Kerry and Gordon Brown have demanded that Islamabad allow foreign agencies to interrogate those arrested in Pakistan. So far the government has refused to hand over suspects or allow foreigners to quiz Pakistanis. It remains to be seen how long it is able to withstand the pressure. Clouds of war are gathering over South Asia. India has announced it has put peace process on hold. Even if this does not necessarily lead to war between the two countries, Pakistan can no more consider its eastern border secure as it has done for the last four years. With it army already fighting in tribal areas, it thus finds itself in a nutcracker. Equally serious is the prospect of sanctions in case Pakistan fails to fulfil the expectations of its Western patrons. US Foreign Relations Committee's chairman-designate John Kerry put it bluntly on Tuesday. Though US was committed to giving financial assistance to Pakistan, he said, it wouldn't help unless a firm understanding was given about how the government planned to deal with the terrorist groups operating from the country's soil. E-mail: azizuddin@nation.com.pk