Editorial: Pakistani hand?

By Sobia Khan

There are strong pointers to Pakistani involvement.

The commando operations to overpower the terrorists in Mumbai are almost over. The forces have succeeded in securing the two landmark hotels in the city and a residential building, though in the process a number of innocent people who were taken hostage by the terrorists have lost their lives. The anxiety of the last 48 hours has tested the nation. But considering the logistical difficulties of fighting an unconventional battle with motivated and trained terrorists, the long duration of the operation is understandable. There are blessings to be counted in terms of saved lives and minimisation of collateral damage, but the grief and sorrow inflicted by the terrorists cannot be measured. The human cost is huge and the loss suffered by many people cannot be compensated for. But it is also time to shift attention to the internal failures that made us to face the situation and to the suspected external circumstances that brought it about.

According to information given out by the security agencies and the political leadership, there are strong pointers to Pakistani involvement in the attack. The arrival of the terrorists in Mumbai by the sea, the choice of targets, the language they spoke while they were holed up in the hotels, the recovery of a satellite phone, and more importantly the identity of a captured terrorist who is said to belong to Multan in Pakistan, are factors that strengthen the suspicion. The Prime Minister had hinted this on Thursday and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has stated it in more definitive terms. The Prime Minister has already taken up the matter with the Pakistan government and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Ahmed Shuja Pasha is expected to visit India for a briefing on the matter. The Pakistan government cannot avoid responsibility if persons of Pakistani origin or organisations that operate there are behind the attack. The fact that Pakistan also has seen terrorist outrages is no mitigating factor. The ISI is not under the control of the civilian government in Islamabad, and assurances on curbing anti-India activity within Pakistan, given to India by successive leaders of that country, have not been kept.

The interrogation of captured terrorists and follow-up of the clues will lead to a clearer idea about the plot and those who executed it. If direct or indirect Pakistani involvement is confirmed, India will have to take steps to eliminate that possibility in future. Pakistan cannot dismiss India’s suspicions as the usual blame game and should co-operate with the investigation to get at the truth. Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s word on this is welcome.