Pakistan has taken a step forward by accepting the role of some of its citizens and organisations based in that country in planning and execution of the Mumbai terrorist attack in Nov. It has also claimed to have a taken a follow-up action by registering cases against eight suspects. Six of them have been taken into custody. If the indications are right, the country's legal process will be set in motion against them to bring them to justice. In the background of a series of denials, flip-flops, evasive postures and demands for clarifications and more evidence, the steps taken by Islamabad are welcome. They will go some way in meeting India's call for taking action against those involved in the attack.
India's sustained efforts and the pressure of the international community have helped to take matters this far. The govt deserves credit for the systematic collection and presentation of evidence and the diplomatic offensive of the last several weeks. Whether US president Barack Obama's recent phone calls to Zardari had anything to do with Pakistan's sudden uolte foee is not immediately known. But it is clear that sustained pressure by the US administration has worked. This is because there is hardly a precedent in India-Pakistan relations wherein Pakistan has made such a concession to an Indian demand. It must have been embarrassing to it and is not likely to be acceptable to the entire Pakistani establishment.
That said, the Pakistani response falls short offul! co-operation. It still bristles with ifs and buts and demands for clarifications and more information. It has accepted that the conspiracy was only 'partly of Pakisrani origin' and wants to poin t fingers at a presumed Indian connection and the global jihadi network. It is shy of exploring any possible links for the action in Pakistan's establishment and would admit to the involvemen t of only non-state actors.
While cases have been registered against eight people, all of them have not been arrested. At least two are in the protective custody of the ISI, whose stand on the civilian govt's action is anybody's guess. It is not even clear that the entire civilian establishment has endorsed the decision, which is considered to have been made by President Zardari's office. Action in the Mumbai case does not also mean that Pakistan is ready to dismantle its terrorist infrastructure. The argument that it is also a victim of terrorism does not wash, because the terrorists, whose victim it is, are not the same as those who plot and act against India with official patronage. India has welcomed Pakistan's announcement as positive and has expressed its readiness to share more information it wants for investigation. The efforts to make Pakistan go the full hog in acting on India's demands should continue. Terrorism emanating from Pakistan is a serious threat to peace and progress not only in South Asia but also the rest of the world. India, being the biggest sufferer of Pakistan emerging as the epicentre of terrorism, cannot keep quiet until the problem is banished from the region.
India's sustained efforts and the pressure of the international community have helped to take matters this far. The govt deserves credit for the systematic collection and presentation of evidence and the diplomatic offensive of the last several weeks. Whether US president Barack Obama's recent phone calls to Zardari had anything to do with Pakistan's sudden uolte foee is not immediately known. But it is clear that sustained pressure by the US administration has worked. This is because there is hardly a precedent in India-Pakistan relations wherein Pakistan has made such a concession to an Indian demand. It must have been embarrassing to it and is not likely to be acceptable to the entire Pakistani establishment.
That said, the Pakistani response falls short offul! co-operation. It still bristles with ifs and buts and demands for clarifications and more information. It has accepted that the conspiracy was only 'partly of Pakisrani origin' and wants to poin t fingers at a presumed Indian connection and the global jihadi network. It is shy of exploring any possible links for the action in Pakistan's establishment and would admit to the involvemen t of only non-state actors.
While cases have been registered against eight people, all of them have not been arrested. At least two are in the protective custody of the ISI, whose stand on the civilian govt's action is anybody's guess. It is not even clear that the entire civilian establishment has endorsed the decision, which is considered to have been made by President Zardari's office. Action in the Mumbai case does not also mean that Pakistan is ready to dismantle its terrorist infrastructure. The argument that it is also a victim of terrorism does not wash, because the terrorists, whose victim it is, are not the same as those who plot and act against India with official patronage. India has welcomed Pakistan's announcement as positive and has expressed its readiness to share more information it wants for investigation. The efforts to make Pakistan go the full hog in acting on India's demands should continue. Terrorism emanating from Pakistan is a serious threat to peace and progress not only in South Asia but also the rest of the world. India, being the biggest sufferer of Pakistan emerging as the epicentre of terrorism, cannot keep quiet until the problem is banished from the region.
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