Times News Networking
NEW DELHI, Jan 11: A day after he made, as some call it, the mysterious statement that ISI's response to the Indian dossier had been conveyed to India, Pakistan PM Yousaf Raza Gilani on Saturday shot his mouth off again saying that there was no need for the world to make “so much noise'' about the Mumbai attacks. Gilani's statement about ISI's feedback being given to India was denied again by New Delhi on Saturday.
Drawing a parallel with the Israeli strikes in Gaza, Gilani accused the international community of double standards saying that it was more concerned about the Mumbai attacks than the killings in Palestine. ``We have to see that the world does not have double standards. See how many innocent women and children have been killed in Palestine. Why is nobody talking about that? Why is the world silent on that?'' said Gilani during a function in Karachi, adding that there was no need for the world to make so much noise over just one incident — the Mumbai attacks.
He went on to bring up the issue of J&K saying that the world had remained silent over the ``atrocities'' committed by India on the people of the state. Stating that hundreds of people had been killed in terrorist strikes, including suicide attacks on slain leader Benazir Bhutto's cavalcade in October 2007 and Marriot Hotel in Islamabad, in the past, Gilani wondered why not enough ``noise'' was made over these incidents.
He said 26/11 was an intelligence failure on India's part and that it India's ``internal matter''.
This was the second shocker from Gilani in as many days. Gilani's statement on Friday that Islamabad has handed over its feedback to the dossier linking Mumbai attacks with Pakistan nationals has turned mysterious with India on Saturday saying that no such reply had been received from Pakistan. Gilani had made the statement before reporters in Islamabad on Friday, but this was soon denied by foreign ministry officials.
On Saturday, minister of state for foreign affairs Anand Sharma categorically said that no such feedback had been received from Islamabad. ``We have not yet received it. When it reaches us we will comment,'' said Sharma, adding that India had also not received any request from Pakistan for consular access to the lone terrorist survivor in Mumbai attacks Ajmal Amir Kasab.
What is further intriguing is another statement from Gilani that India had handed over a 52-page dossier to the CIA which had been given to Pakistan and to which ISI had responded. He said that ISI's response had been conveyed to the CIA and India. A senior official in New Delhi, however, said that India had no knowledge about any dossier being handed over to Pakistan through the CIA. The Indian dossier, he said, had been prepared with help from FBI and handed over directly by the foreign ministry to the Pakistan High Commissioner in New Delhi.
``Our position is clear that Pakistan should fulfill the promises it has made to India and the international community. It should dismantle the terror infrastructure that exists there,'' stated Sharma.
Meanwhile, foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday again said that all options are open for India even as he ruled out Gaza-like strikes saying that the situation here could not be compared with the ongoing conflict in Gaza. ``I have not gone and occupied any (of) Pakistan's land which Israel has done (in Palestine).
So, how the situation can be comparable,'' Mukherjee told a news channel when asked about whether a response similar to that of Israel can be contemplated by India.
``We have not reached the end of the road. Pakistan, what they have asked for, we have given them. We expect them to act on it. If they do not act on it, then what follow-up steps we will take and in what space of time it will take place, future course will decide,'' said Mukherjee. He said that India had to deal with the civilian government in Islamabad even if it wasn't clear which agency was actually calling the shots in Pakistan.