Interior Minister Rehman Maliks disclosure that Pakistan had provided intelligence about a plot that had been hatched to target the ongoing World Cup raises several questions. Mr Malik, who appeared with Interpol Chief Ronald Noble at a media briefing at Islamabad on Thursday, did not identify the terrorists nationality or the militant group with which he was affiliated, but Mr Noble did mention that he had left Karachi for Colombo and thanked Pakistan for the timely information that helped Interpol avert a possible catastrophe. One wonders why Mr Malik did not have the terrorist arrested while he was still in Pakistan. Did he deliberately let him go to get kudos from an international agency and gain recognition for doing his job well from the outside world? He did not bother to take into account the inevitable outcome of passing the intelligence to an outside agency, rather than Pakistan itself catching hold of the accused, that the country would suffer, as the charge of exporting terrorism sticks. It is as obvious as daylight that as Interior Minister of the country, whose principal responsibility consists in controlling and rooting out militancy and providing security of life and property to the citizens, Mr Malik has been a signal failure. Otherwise, we would not be witness to daily acts of suicide bombings, target killings, murders and theft and robberies. But, quite interestingly, he claims to possess intelligence about the planning and activities of terrorist groups in foreign lands, and maintains that the Taliban had spread their tentacles in India and were busy organising themselves there. He has appropriately warned New Delhi about this development. About Mr Maliks point that the terrorist phenomenon transcends the bounds of religion or territory there can be no dispute. Just as a misguided lot claiming to subscribe to Islam is committing the heinous crime, there is no dearth of adherents of other faiths like Jews, Christians or Hindus, who have been known for doing the same. It was Shiv Sena, the militant Hindu outfit, that has to its credit, much to Indias shame, the massacre of untold numbers of minorities, mainly Muslims, which has hurled threats on the Pakistani eleven playing the Word Cup. Manohar Joshi, its leader and once Speaker of Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament, has said that only Bal Thackeray would decide whether or not to let the Pakistani side play the final at Mumbai, if it were to reach that stage. Now that Pakistan is pitted against India in the semi-finals to be held at Mohali on March 30, the danger of its disruption and to the life of our cricketers cannot be ruled out. Mr Rehmans concern about the safety of the team is entirely justified. It falls on New Delhi to ensure that nothing happens to the players.