By IANS,
New Delhi: India’s two main political parties Tuesday hit out at Pakistan, with the Congress asking Islamabad to explain the role of state actors in the Mumbai terror attack.
And commenting on the terrorist onslaught on Pakistan’s key naval base in Karachi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said it was time the world moved to “de-nuclearise” Islamabad.
The Congress said revelations in Chicao of Mumbai attack co-accused Tahawwur Hussain Rana cast a “heavy responsibility” on Pakistan to provide answers about the involvement of state players in the 2008 mayhem.
Islamabad has thus far maintained that the Pakistani terrorists who sneaked into Mumbai and went on a killing spree for three days were “non-state actors”.
“The events played out in Pakistan in the past weeks and revelations from the Chicago trial cast heavy responsibility on Pakistan to provide answers not only to India but the world community about the involvement of state instrumentalities,” Congress spokesman Manish Tewari said.
In a tone that betrayed India’s growing frustration with Pakistan, Tewari said Pakistan should not obfuscate issues any more. “It will be far more appropriate if Pakistan provides answers.”
Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley Monday told a US court, where Rana’s trial is underway, that Pakistan’s spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence, had a role in the Mumbai attack that killed 116 people.
Asked about fears that Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal could be seized by Islamist forces, Tewari said such issues were “very sensitive” and cannot be discussed through the media.
At least 10 people were killed when terrorists attacked a Pakistani naval base in Karachi Sunday-Monday.
The BJP said the attack on the heavily fortified military complex showed that Pakistan’s nuclear weapons could fall into wrong hands.
“All this establishes Pakistan’s vulnerability as far as nuclear weapons are concerned. It is a matter of concern… How is Pakistan going to protect itself?” said BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy.
“It is time imminent action is taken to denuclearise Pakistan,” he told reporters. He added that there was ‘jehadisation’ of Pakistan’s Army which was dangerous for the whole world.
According to Rudy, there was an “urgent need to sanitise Pakistan for world peace”.