Charging Islamabad with resorting to its ??previous patterns of denial of facts, evidence and reality??, India on Wednesday sharply criticised Pakistan for rejecting within 24 hours the evidence provided to it on Mumbai terror attacks.
India also turned down Islamabad’s offer to set up a new mechanism along with a high-level visit to India, wondering about its objective when Pakistan continued to maintain its attitude of deniability. ??Since the terrorist attack on Mumbai on November 26, the Pakistani government has asked India for evidence. On January 5, we gave them the evidence,?? foreign office spokesperson Vishnu Prakash said. ??Less than 24 hours later, the Pakistan foreign office has chosen to reject this evidence. How can this rejection be credible or be based on a real examination and investigation of the evidence? This is a political rejection without any basis,?? he added.
The official word from Islamabad on Tuesday had been that the exhaustive dossier handed over by India to Pakistan as well as other countries, was false and fabricated. After New Delhi?s sharp reaction this afternoon, however, there was a noticeable change in Islamabad’s attitude by the evening. According to reports, Pakistan government described as ??premature?? the media reports about evidence provided by India on the Mumbai attacks being insufficient and said it was yet to frame its formal response on the issue.
??The evidence was handed over to us just on Tuesday and the Pakistan government has said it will formally examine the material and then give its comments,?? presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar has said. Babar described as ??premature?? the reports in a section of the Pakistani media which said the information handed over by India was insufficient and could not serve as the basis for action by Pakistan.
After being in denial mode, there were reconciliatory tones from other quarters too. ??Our own investigations into Mumbai (attacks) have progressed. We have received some information of an interim nature on Indian investigations. We are prepared to take this process forward with a view to uncovering full facts, thus ensuring that the perpetrators of this heinous crime whosoever they may be are brought to justice,?? Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was quoted as having said.
Pakistani foreign office spokesman Mohammad Sadiq said the information provided by India is being ??seriously examined?? to uncover the complete facts and establish evidence that will stand up to legal scrutiny. At the same time, he said Pakistan ??regrets the propaganda campaign unleashed by India to malign Pakistan??.
New Delhi obviously seemed unwilling to buy any such line. ??The issue is not words or statements or the situation in South Asia. The issue is what Pakistan does about terrorist attacks on India from Pakistan.?? foreign office spokesperson Vishnu Prakash said. ??There are existing bilateral mechanisms set up at the highest levels, such as Joint Anti-Terror Mechanism, which Pakistan’s evasion and denial have made infructuous,?? he added.