By Muhammad Najeeb,
Islamabad, Dec 22 (IANS) India expects “complete cooperation” from Pakistan over the Mumbai terrorist attack, an Indian diplomat said Monday, insisting that the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was to blame for the carnage.
Talking to journalists after the SAARC Chamber of Trade and Commerce meeting here, Deputy High Commissioner Preet Vohra said the Deccan Mujahideen, which claimed credit after the Mumbai carnage, was not involved but “rather these were carried out by the Lashkar-e-Taiba”.
He said India had made it clear to Islamabad several times that “Pakistani elements” were involved in the Nov 26-29 Mumbai terror that killed over 170 people and that Pakistan should do more to help nab all those involved in the killings.
But Vohra maintained at the same time that India wanted to hold a dialogue with Pakistan and had no plans for a confrontation.
Responding to a question about Indian threats of launching attacks on LeT camps, Vohra said New Delhi wanted peace in the region but “we expect complete cooperation from Pakistan”.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi meanwhile insisted that his country had not received evidence about Pakistani involvement in the Mumbai killings.
He said India should provide evidence for further investigation.
Pakistan Air Force (PAF) jets flew over major cities amid reports quoting US sources as saying that India may attack Pakistan.
The PAF flights over Lahore and Rawalpindi created panic and generated rumours that India had launched an attack against the LeT and other jehadi organisations.
Mobile phone messages that have become a major source of information began circulating that PAF jets were countering the Indian attack.
Television channels quickly went on the air to dispel the rumours.
GEO TV, quoting a PAF spokesman, said the air force had only stepped up vigilance and was on high alert.
Other channels also quoted officials to say that Pakistani forces were on alert but dispelled speculation of an Indian attack.
That did not prevent residents in Islamabad and other cities from coming out of their homes and offices and calling media outlets to know what was going on.
Some Pakistanis insisted that “India has attacked Pakistan”.
Media reports say that all airports in Pakistan are on high alert. A flight bound for Dubai from Lahore and another to Lahore from Quetta were halted. All passes at the Lahore airport have been cancelled.
Sources said the measures had been taken to enable easy landing of PAF aircraft in case of an emergency as they flew over Lahore and Rawalpindi.
Defence Minister Ahmad Mukhtar Chaudhry warned that if India tried to thrust a war, it would face the Pakistani might.
According to the minister, Indian would never want war because if fighting breaks out, “then God forbid the situation might develop into a nuclear war”.