Foreign ministry spokesperson Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry confirmed that Pakistan’s High Commissioner in New Delhi contacted the Indian government over the startling disclosure. PHOTO: APP/FILE
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has asked India to clarify its position over the recent revelations by an Indian government officer that the 2001 Parliament and 2008 Mumbai attacks were engineered by New Delhi.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry confirmed on Thursday that Pakistan’s High Commissioner in New Delhi contacted the Indian government over the startling disclosure.
The issue, according to sources, was also raised by Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani during a meeting with newly-appointed Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Dr Raghavan. The Indian envoy met the foreign secretary to officially take charge of his new responsibilities on Thursday.
Separately, Federal Information Minister for Broadcasting Senator Pervaiz Rasheed said Pakistan would give its reaction once it formally received the Indian response.
Last week, a former officer of the Indian home ministry alleged that Indian government orchestrated the two high-profile terrorist attacks – for which New Delhi has officially held Pakistan-based militant groups responsible.
According to India’s Times of India (TOI) newspaper, RVS Mani, who as home ministry under-secretary signed the affidavits submitted in court in the Ishrat Jahan ‘fake encounter case’, said that Satish Verma, a former member of the Central Bureau of Investigation-SIT probe team, told him that both the 2001 attack on Indian parliament and the 2008 Mumbai attacks were set up with the objective of strengthening counter-terror legislation.
Mani maintained that according to Verma, the attack on the Indian Parliament was followed by the Prevention of Terrorist Activities Act and the attacks in Mumbai were followed by an amendment to the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.
According to a foreign ministry official, Foreign Secretary Jilani and the new Indian high commissioner also discussed prospects of resumption of third-round of composite dialogue between the two countries. The official disclosed that the third round was expected to begin soon as the two sides were finalising roadmap for the series of meetings at the official level.
The third round was supposed to take place earlier this year but due to tensions over border clashes coupled with democratic transition in Pakistan delayed the process.
“We have proposed dates for the next round and now waiting for the Indian response,” added the official.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 19th, 2013.
COMMENTS (24)
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What a joke
@truthbetold
Great post. You should try script writing for theatre/movies. Seriously. I'm still loughing my heart out.
There is no question that the Indian government orchestrated the parliament attack, the Mumbai attack, several dozens of other terror attacks in India. It was Jaswant Sigh who hijacked the Indian Airlines plane to Kandahar to build a false case against JeM.
Indian government also carried out the 9/11 attack and blamed bin Laden, hiding him in India and telling the Americans he was living in Abbottabad while he was and still is living comfortably in Delhi. The Americans, finding just couple of goats in the so-called Bin Laden compound in Abbottabad told the world they had killed bin Laden, just to save face. The the two so-called Chechens who carried out the Boston bombing were really Indian government Hindu agents who were given a skin-whitening treatment in a Mumbai hospital and given Muslim Chechen names.
Now that the cat is out of the bag, the Pakistani foreign minister should demand an official apology for blaming the ISI and Havfeez Saeed for all terror attacks in India.
R V Mani will be rated in India as a fit candidate for a lunatic asylum. His remarks stigmatized NDA government which was in power in 2001 and UPA government which was in power in 2008. It was axiomatic that Pakistan would seize on a statement of that kind to cause embarrassment to India. But beyond minor embarrassment it does not have any other significance. The rest of the world regards the attack on the Indian parliament in 2001 and the Mumbai attacks of 2008 as actions planned and executed from Pakistan. The present government in Pakistan should know that there cannot be improvement in India–Pakistan relations if the guilty of Mumbai 26/11 are not speedily brought to justice. We have seen that there have been frequent adjournments of court proceedings and repeated replacements of the presiding judge. As ordinary Indian citizens we believe that in Pakistan there is no constituency for good relations with India. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has done nothing to encourage us to think that he actually wants good relations with India, his repeated warm words notwithstanding. V. C. Bhutani, Edinburgh, 19 July 2013, 1900 GMT
It is pathetic to see how the Pakistanis believe in these kind of things so easily, like that of "9/11 was done by America itself...........Mumbai attack was done by India on its own citizens........Osama Bin Laden was never in Pakistan and it was somebody else who was killed by US........and finally Malala is an agent of RAW, CIA, Mossad and is a paid spokesperson of United States...........It is absolutely illogical to argue with somebody who really does not want to believe in anything else except their theories.....As the saying goes "It is easy to wake up somebody who is asleep, but it is impossible to wake up somebody who is pretending to be asleep........and that absolutely goes right with Pakistan."
@Asma R:
"Yeah Yeah! Predicted response. No one in their right minds will ever accuse it’s own government with regards to such a high profile incident shown internationally!! If it can be done with Samjhota, what prevents it being done in Mumbai or for that matter in future!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Hello Asma R, you could learn some reasoning from Asma J.
Here is what you are suggesting : Samjhauta was a work of Indian government.
Here is my question : Why then did Indian government expose it and arrest Colonel Purohit?
In simpler words : If Samjhauta express explosion was the work of Indian government, why did it expose itself?
If the alleged statement,which is not coming from horse's mouth is correct than International community which took the matter in UN,,Pakistan for jailing the suspect,Whole US State machinary who have submitted so many collaborative proof -now all false,in India many high officials and politicians lost their job.-.Are all of them so incompetent
@all pakistanis who think it was staged by india, do you still believe kasab was indian or all others two are indian and that david hadley/Rana is wasting time in jail for nothing !!!!!
you can save ur country only by open minds, not by closed eyes.
@Water Bottle: Yeah Yeah! Predicted response. No one in their right minds will ever accuse it's own government with regards to such a high profile incident shown internationally!! If it can be done with Samjhota, what prevents it being done in Mumbai or for that matter in future!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@Zubair: "We merely demand that the comment be clarified". True and very valid point. If it is proved that this was just another in-fighting between a former official, will you also demand to hand over the culprits to India?
@Water Bottle: So you still think that Osama was not in Pakistan and kasab was not a Pakistani. Some guy without submitting any proof says that someone told him that Indians attacked Indians. Has he given any proof for his accusation? Seems you still believe in houris you will get once you go to heaven. dream on boy because there is no truth in this accusation.
The killing of Kurkare on the same night proves that their own agencies were involved in all drama.
Another plot by Pakistan? Do you hear yourself? An Indian has made a statement, which is a serious allegation as this issue has been a bone of contention between 2 nuclear armed nations. Pakistan did not preempt this statement, nor have we officially reacted harshly to it. We merely demand that the comment be clarified. In an ideal world, not only should the comment be clarified but investigated as well. I understand that Mr. Mani still stands by his statement, in spite of the backlash he has received, in spite of the fact that it probably makes him the most unpopular man in India. Surely this cannot be just mudslinging at another officer. For all the time Indian trolls have asked Pakistani readers to not blindly follow what our government tells us, I would suggest that they follow the same advice.
This is just another plot by Pakistan to divert attention away from the Mumbai trial. How dubious Pakistanis can be is of no mention, every one knows. We don't live on a daily dose of conspiracy theories. So thank you. And this false claim wont make Pakistan's image any better in international community. According to Pakistan even the 9/11 was staged. Great what a bunch on innocent AK47 wielding guys.
@Raj Kafir
Yeah I understand and see so many Indians on Pakistan news site down exactly what u referring too. I hope you intelligent enough to understand.
Isnt this the very same FO who said that 8 out of 10 Indian Movies are anti Pakistan? ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Poor credibility.
Qaaflay Chalte Rehtein Hain....Hope some intelligent readers know what I mean.
One of the officers of Home minsitry is under investigation by CBI. So the officers involved are mud-slinging at each other. Here A is alleging that B , who is investigating him, told so and so. However Pakistan did not waste time to jump in the middle of this.
As much as this is absurd, Pakistan has a right to ask this at the official level without indulging in any conspiracy theories for which Pakistan is well known.
This is insignificant. This is neither an Indian government statement nor does it have an iota of evidence.
It's a hearsay.
The only problem is, it comes from an under-secretary.
Indian government clearly says that this is rubbish. It's hearsay. Pakistan should not try to distract and lie as it always does and instead should focus on punishing the masterminds of the attacks who are roaming freely in Pakistan.
Nonetheless, Indian government should look into the irresponsible behavior of the officers involved.
and meanwhile, why not join our congress party too.
Where are those Indian trolls now, they are ever ready to bash Pakistan and it's citizens but they will not comment on their own officials spilling the beans. If it turns out to be true then they have hoodwinked the whole world including the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Can we trust these Indians again and again, Pakistanis should be on guard for ever because if they could kill their own citizens for passing legislation then they have no qualms about killing Pakistanis.
Indian response - it is going to be a long wait.....