'Punish 26/11 perpetrators, we'll talk'

'Punish 26/11 perpetrators, we'll talk'

Indrani Bagchi, TNN, Apr 15, 2010, 04.23am IST

Tags:Pakistan|India|26/11

WASHINGTON: India is willing to resume talks with Pakistan if it takes action against Lashkar-e-Taiba and perpetrators of 26/11, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said.

Taking an unusually sharp approach to Pakistan, Singh told journalists at a post-summit press conference, "If anyone asks me about bilateral relations with Pakistan, then I explain our position which is an open secret — if Pakistan takes credible steps to bring perpetrators of the horrible crimes of 26/11 to book, that's the minimum we expect. If Pakistan does that, we will be very happy to begin talks once again."

While Singh's stand is now official Indian policy, what was striking was that the normally mild-mannered PM showed a toughness Pakistan would do well to note. His comments are significant in the context of the possibility that an India-Pakistan summit-level meeting may be planned on the sidelines of the Saarc summit in Bhutan in a couple of weeks. Even on that the PM was almost dismissive. "Bhutan is still some time away. We will cross that bridge when we come to it," he said.

On Monday, Pakistani PM Yousuf Raza Gilani had said that if India provided evidence against LeT, Pakistan would bring them to justice. In an uncharacteristically sharp retort, the PM on Wednesday said he saw no reason to give further evidence. "I would hate to enter into an argument with PM Gilani in a press conference. But American intelligence and forces have pointed out the role of the LeT, its links to al-Qaida. I don't have to tell PM Gilani about the role of Hafiz Saeed, Ilyas Kashmiri and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi with regard to their fanning terrorism against India."

Singh added that India was aware there were other conspirators linked to 26/11, whom Pakistan should take action against. "We know who they are," he said darkly. Should India have come to the US to air its problems about Pakistan to the US leadership? Answering this, Singh admitted that it was India's responsibility to tackle its own problems, and there was no question of taking them to another country. "But international sentiments and opinions do matter," he said. It was a rare, understated admission that India may have been slipping up in shaping international opinion regarding its concerns.

The PM's tough talk on Pakistan in Washington is not a coincidence. Although the US "understands" India's concerns regarding India-targetted terrorism from Pakistan, they have made it clear that they have "compulsions" which makes them more dependent on Pakistan while they attempt to get out of Afghanistan. To that extent, India really cannot expect much help from the US to lean on Pakistan to act against their terrorists targeting India.