By NNN-PTI,
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the first time on Tuesday accused Pakistan’s state agencies of involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks and charged Islamabad with using terror as an instrument of state policy.
A day after India handed over to Islamabad and to other countries evidence of Pakistani elements’ links to 26/11 Mumbai attacks, he said they were carried out by Pak-based terror outfit, the Lashkar-e-Taiba.
“On the basis of investigations carried out, (including by agencies of some foreign countries whose nationals were killed in the attack), there is enough evidence to show that, given the sophistication and military precision of the attack, it must have had the support of some official agencies in Pakistan,” he said.
Addressing a day-long conference of Chief Ministers on the internal security, Singh said concerns may exist that the country’s defence mechanism to thwart the numerous threats were inadequate and there was need to review the effectiveness of set up for the collection of technical signal and human intelligence.
He emphasised that the Centre (federal govt) and state governments must attempt to this national task with speed, efficiency and utmost dedication.
Chief Ministers of the opposition NDA ruled state including Narendra Modi (Gujarat) and Nitish Kumar (Bihar), however, expressed reservations over the constitution of federal agency — National Investigation Agency — and amendments to criminal laws without consultations with states.
In his concluding remarks, Singh allayed their apprehensions assuring them that all anti-terror initiative will be taken with the “closest possible” interaction with the states and their apparatus.