Pakistan is terror state: PM

Prime minister Manmohan Singh, in an uncharacteristically sharp response to the Mumbai terror attacks, publicly accused Pakistan of using terrorism as an instrument of foreign policy. He also blamed the Inter Services Intelligence of the Pakistan army for the same, but without naming them. The direct attack on Pakistan clearly signals an end to Indian hopes of any Pakistani help in nailing the Mumbai terror suspects.

Speaking at the annual conference of chief ministers in the capital, Singh said “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.’’

This is the closest India has ever come to officially accusing Pakistan of using terror to achieve its foreign policy objectives. Coming just a day after India presented Pakistan with voluminous evidence about the role played by various Pakistani groups or individuals in the attack, this means nothing will come of it.

Stung by the prime minister’s remarks, a Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman in Islamabad affirmed that “Pakistan is not a state sponsor of terrorism. India has chosen to embark on a propaganda offensive.”

“Vilifying Pakistan, or for that matter any of its state institutions, on this score is unwarranted and unacceptable. This is a sure way to close avenues of cooperation in combating the menace (of terrorism),” the spokesman added.