Sinister designs

INDIA's reluctance to share the evidence about the Mumbai terrorist attacks with Interpol Secretary-General Ronald Noble can hardly be explained except for the fact there is something more behind the carnage than it has been telling the world. Should it have any clear proof of the involvement of elements from the Pakistani side, it would have gladly taken Mr Noble, who heads a prestigious institution concerned with such activities worldwide, into confidence. Sharing the evidence with Mr Noble would have strengthened its case, while the refusal to do so has obviously damaged it. The Interpol Chief's remark at a joint press conference with PM's Interior Adviser Rehman Malik at Islamabad on Tuesday, "I have as much information as you have in Pakistan," leaves little doubt about the sinister designs of India, which, in league with certain powers supposedly friendly to Pakistan, has been trying to confuse the issue and exploit it to malign Islamabad for strategic gains. Meanwhile, Mr Malik maintained before the journalists that the name of Kasab, whom India says is a Pakistani and the sole surviving accused, was not found in the records of NADRA. The observation of Mr Noble ought to have a sobering effect on the Indian leadership as well as those countries which started pointing an accusing finger at Pakistan even while no 'suspect' had been taken into custody, and the exchange of fire between the security forces and the terrorists was still continuing. It is, however, comforting to hear Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh say, "There's no question of war. That is not the issue...(the issue) is a terrorist attack on India from Pakistan." He had better counsel from his External Affairs Minister not to go overboard in creating a scare of an impending war In the interest of the anti-terrorism struggle under way in the world, including India, Dr Singh should also listen to Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray, who has welcomed the emergence of Hindu terrorists while referring to the suspicion that they were behind the Malegaon blasts on September 29. Besides the outbursts of this home-grown hydra-headed terrorist outfit, sane voices calling for an impartial and shared investigation are also being heard that the Indian Prime Minister needs to pay heed to. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qin Gang has called for calm and working together to investigate the cause of the Mumbai attacks. Pakistan has once again assured, in the words of Mr Rehman Malik, "If India gives us credible evidence about involvement of Pakistanis, the government will take action to bring them to justice."

ePaper - Nawaiwaqt