India does not really have any option other than persuading Pakistan to take action against terrorists, according to external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee. “We have no other sources. We cannot chase non-state elements in other countries. Pakistan will have to take action,” Mukherjee said.
He said Pakistan has been insisting that acts of terrorism in India are being carried out by non-state actors, “but terrorists don’t come from heaven or other planets.” “All the arguments coming from Pakistan are not really very convincing,” Mukherjee said.
Stating that raging a war against Pakistan would no way solve the problem of terrorism in India, Mukherjee stressed the need of strengthening the composite dialogue mechanism and joint anti-terror mechanism to combat terrorism.
According to Mukherjee, former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf had said that Pakistan would not allow terrorists to use its territory for anti-India activities. “The present government should keep that promise,” he said.
“Not once, twice or thrice, but as many as 10 times we have given evidences. Pakistan must cooperate. No question of mere denial. You will be caught in your denial then,” he said.
He said India has clear evidences, including interceptions, that the terrorists involved in the Mumbai terror attack have Pakistani connections. India got the “killing account”, which was transpired from the other side of the border. According to Mukherjee, there were directives like: “There is a crowd, throw some grenades there. The crowd wall will disperse. Some of them will be killed”.
“This means that persons behind the attack were monitoring Indian television channels from Pakistan and directing the action,” Mukherjee said.
The external affairs minister said India has asked Pakistan to “arrest some of the fugitives who have taken shelter there. “Handover Indian citizens to us. Those who are required for investigation, may be your citizens, please hand them over to us as well,” Mukherjee said.
Mukherjee took strong exception to contradictory statements from Pakistan regarding the presence of Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Maulana Masood Azhar in that country. Just after the Mumbai attack, Pakistan defence minister had said that Azhar was under house arrest in Pakistan. However, a few days after the Pak envoy in New Delhi had denied that. “Sometimes it is said he (Azhar) is not seen. Sometimes it is said that he is not available in Pakistan,” Mukherjee said at an interactive session on the nuclear deal organised by the Bengal Chamber of Commerce here on Sunday. Words must be followed by actions, he said.