Pakistan’s high commissioner to Britain said the November 2008 terror assault in Mumbai, India, was planned outside of his country and said India may have “fabricated” the dossier of evidence presented earlier this month.
“Pakistani territory was not used so far as the investigators have made their conclusions,” High Commissionaer Wajid Shamsul Hasan told NDTV. “It could have been some other place.”
When asked about the validity of the Indian dossier of evidence, Hasan suggested India may have manufactured the information. The Indian dossier of evidence contained proof of calls made between the Mumbai terrorists and their handlers inside Pakistan as the attacks were ongoing, including transcripts of the handlers ordering the terrorists to murder the civilians then cheering over the phone.
“Well, it could be fabricated,” Hasan said. “You took 45 days to give that sort of evidence although you started blaming Pakistan from day one.” Statements similar to Hasan’s have been leaked to the media over the past several days, but he is the first Pakistani official to go on the record.
Lashkar-e-Taiba has been implicated in the late November terror assault on the Indian city of Mumbai. The attack lasted more than 60 hours and resulted in 164 innocent victims and nine terrorists killed. The city was shut down as Indian security forces battled small teams of terrorists that had first infiltrated Mumbai by sea and then attacked at 10 locations throughout the city, including two major hotels. Elements within Pakistan’s Inter-Service Intelligence agency and the military are believed to have aided in the attack.
Today’s comments by Hasan triggered rebukes from both Pakistani and Indian leaders. Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said Hasan was wrong for commenting on the report but did nothing to dispute Hasan’s claims that the plot was hatched outside of Pakistan and India “fabricated” the evidence.
“How can he comment? We can’t right now,” Gilani said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “If the PM cannot comment then how could he? It is only the job of the Interior Ministry. I assure you that my soil will not be used for terrorism and if anyone is found guilt the law will take its own course.”
Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee expressed exasperation over the leaking of information to the press and and Pakistan’s handling of the report. “Till now, we have not received any information from Pakistan,” Mukherjee said. “Whatever we are hearing like you is through the media. This is not the way a government can respond.”
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi confirmed the internal Mumbai investigation has been completed but is still being reviewed. “Pakistan has assured India and the world community that it is seriously making progress in the process of investigating the Mumbai attacks and wants to bring the culprits to justice,” Qureshi said,
Today’s misstep by Pakistan’s senior diplomat to Britain is the latest in a series of fractured communications by the Pakistani government on the Mumbai attack. The most high-profile incident took place on Jan. 7, when Gilani dismissed Mehmud Ali Durrani, Pakistan’s National Security Advisor, after he disclosed that the lone surviving Mumbai terrorist is a Pakistani citizen. Just hours after Durrani was dismissed, other officials confirmed Durrani’s statement. Pakistan had denied the captured Mumbai terrorist was a citizen despite confirmation from his father and other residents of his home village.
Pakistan has also presented conflicting information on the detention of Maulana Masood Azhar, the leader of the Jaish-e-Mohammed. Officials said Azhar was detained on Dec. 7. Later, Pakistani officials denied Azhar was in custody. It was rumored that Azhar fled in North Waziristan.
37 Comments
They (Lashkar-e-Taiba) are obviously stalling.
India should take action sooner rather
then later. The world needs leadership on fighting
terror.
Pakistan can say with justification that it has been playing this song and dance successfully for some time, so why should they stop now?
Time for some manna from heaven to fall upon Pakistan, which is apparently thing only thing that will convince Pakistan to change its continual obfuscation and denial.
you can expect any thing from indian… last year their Intelligence beauro chief revealed that ISI is spreading HIV aids in indian forces…..
in fact worlds largest democracy is the most insecure state in the world….
to be honest indian leadership should look at the rise of hindutva… killing of christians, sikhs and Muslims and logically analyze what happening in india
dehli massacare of sikhs, colonal prohit serving indian army officers operations for hindutva, Gujrat and burning and killings of christians in Orissa, and north east are enough to make the minorities react against ineffective and bais state and government
in urdu there is an old proverb
[b]when you point finger at others, three remaining points back towards you
and one stanza of urdu poem rightly says
when there is a fire, smoke will come up
any serious student of india knows how in disguise of seculerism indian government discriminate[b]
Didn’t some of that dossier come from US sources? Like the sat phone transcripts?
===
There is something to be said for the masters of conspiracy theory…
But not in public.
AHEM,
R
if america knew …why it immediately told indian govt or pakistani govt….
if ur consipericy theory is true then US is one incompetant state
Bill L : Why dont you post your comments using your true Jihadi name instead of a western alias …
If only Pakistan were as creative in the operations field in its war on its terrorists, as it is in its war of words thru its persistent double-speak…..!
The point now Bill L is: it is not just india pointing a finger at Pakistan, the World is pointing many fingers at this “epicentre of global terrorism”. This link is worth a read… http://www.hindu.com/2009/01/30/stories/2009013054241500.htm
India was for decades the only one pointing a finger and was, yes, for years a sponge to the export of mischief from Pakistani soil. But of course we are now well into 21C and no longer as naive around the globe as we once were. Unfortunately as terrorist networks, and their ambitions, have grown within Pakistan, so has the Pakistan govt’s credibility gap between word and action. The firing of Durrani (and the associated weeks of denial that the captured mumbai terrorist was Pakistani) and this latest report from the UK and davos merely serve to fit that pattern.
Does anyone understand this too-smart-by-half communications approach of Pakistan? I find it not just an insult to the intel community, but also an insult to the common intelligent global citizen. And so, remain bewildered as to how it serves Pakistan’s own purpose…
bill longley,
Most exotic contentions are not evaluable, in the absence of support from credible sources.
This is not a problem that is unique to your comments at LWJ. It is shared by the assertions of High Commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan, of PM Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, and indeed of President Asif Ali Zardari.
The accumulated weight of evidence of Pakistani involvement in the planning and execution of the Mumbai terror attacks brings Carl Sagan’s old aphorism to mind: “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof.”
Pakistani diplomats are fabricated and so may be the whole country, who knows. When it gets going soon enough, the whole fabrication will amount to nothing.
Pakistan needs to have mercy on Pranab babu. Poor man is running out of empty theats to issue against Pakistan. Sardarji is in the hospital so the entire burden of fake sword waving is falling on the not so strong shoulders of Pranab babu. God forbid if there is another terrorist attack before general election the man would be in serious trouble making up all new kinds of make believe threats.
bill longley
if ur consipericy theory is true then US is one incompetant state
A supporter of Pakistan is passing judgement on the abilities, qualities & competencies of other countries?
If 1 person says ur a horse, you shrug it off. If 10 people say it, its time to get a saddle. Is there ANY honest P-stani’s?
LWJ is a real thorn in Pakistani jehadi community. So many facts… so little ways to deny it.
This time Mr. Longly got short-end of it.
Wow,
quite a few conspiracy theorists and paki apologists are out on this thread…. more denial of paki involvement is nothing surprising to me.
After all what do you expect folks like Gilani, Zardari to do ? Admit that they are the civilian leaders of a state sponsor of terror and that they have no control of the ISI/military ?
C.Jordan, India has been attacked by islamic terrorists backed by the pakis for the last 20 years – and it has never responded. Dont expect it to show any leadership.
In fact the Mumbai terror attacks are such a distinct inconvenience to Indian polity – it has been put in a siruation where it is forced to act ! But as you can see after two months since the attack, we still have normal trade and business relations with an enemy that is sworn to our destruction. Our Govt is still handing out visas to pakis to visit India.
Doesnt get better than that, huh ?
very funny… in deed i enjoy the injuns hate against my country
truth is truth like it or not
millions of dalits, muslims, christians, sikhs etc are big evedence to shut mouths of indians…but they never learn…they took their roots from kutliyas ideology
Mr. Longley,
I think you are displaying both your motivations and your credibility quite well here.
Might I add, that’s quite a hole you’re standing in. Never mind the rest of us though, keep digging!
NEO
i dont deny that Pakistan has some serious problems… i know our society our system is going in deep S***
but it does not mean international community, taking india as a big market… forget ground realities of Indian society…infested with caste system, discriminations… where humans are burned alive… where in 12 states…fight for independence taking place….
why strightway point fingers at pakistan… listen to telephonic talk of fahadullah with indian tv channel and observe the language he uses …which is not identical to what we speak….
This thread is hilarious. 😆 I wonder if someone has ever been to India? I don’t recognize the country he is describing.
anand
i can provide you thousands of youtube links if you want to reintroduce india to you
or thousands of non pakistani links which will enhance your idea about india[:P]
Mr Longley, thank you for your admission on the state of Pakistani society except that the world does not think you are ‘going’ in that direction, but that you are already very well there. (Unfortunate for a country whose name means Land of the Pure.) I amagine ur not blaming India for this predicament.
So why don’t you stick to the points of reporting in this Journal. Surely you can take your comments regarding India to your favourite utube channels or elsewhere.
The world knows that India has not had, and has not needed to have, one day of Army rule in her country, despite her own internal issues.
She is not a central front of this Long War. You are, so why not get on with it.
Bill Longley,
You are under the mistaken impression that the atmosphere here is like that at PDF ( Pakistani Defence Forum), but it isn’t.
If your goal has been to get out and create a positive Public Relations campaign for Pakistan by posting comments here, then you have failed badly because of the hostility that you are displaying.
There are times that I feel sympathy for the people of Pakistan and their plight — situation. Then commenters like you destroy that sympathy.
Good luck because Pakistan is going to need quite a bit of it.
Longly: you wrote “the injuns”.
Talk about being racist. Even a small part of Pakistanis are like you, then whatever I have read and heard about Pakistan seems true. Mister, you need therapy. Don’t insult your country!.
Good bye.
I think the real point of the story is the laughable propaganda efforts of the Pakistani leadership. I spent 15 years in the public relations business putting “spin” on things, and can recognise amateurs at work. Gilani must think most people have straw for brains if he directs his deputies to go about making up all sorts of denials and excuses for the obvious. Advice to Gilani and Co.: if you’re going to spin the implausible, at least wrap it up in a veneer of truth. Nobody–including your own educated classes–is buying this rubbish.
To the faker who calls himself Bill Longley,
Thank you for your unintentional comedy.
terrorists backed by the pakis……denial of paki involvement by NS
Is there ANY honest P-stani’s? by Rhyno327
NO ONE NOTED THAT… WHY ?
BECAUSE YOU PEOPLE LIKE TO DISCRIMINATE…
The current Indian PM (highest constitutional authority) is a Sikh. The current Vice-President is a Muslim. The immediate Past President was again a Muslim. And there are so many Muslims / Sikhs / Christians who have / are at the top in Govt/ Military/Judiciary/ Pvt enterprise. So Mr. Bill Jihadi Longely .. your charges of discrimination by Hindus against the minorities doesn’t hold any water. And talking about Gujarat … The riots occured because 59 innocent pilgrims (40 out of which were women and children) were burnt to death by a violent mob of Muslims … I shudder what would happen to a non-Muslim (a hindu / Christian / Jew) in a Muslim majority country .. say Saudi Arabia if such barbaric act was committed to them …
Now shud we talk about discrimination of the minorities in your beloved homeland. Hindus who were 10 % of the population at the time of independence are now 1 % and the whole world knows about the discrimination that you do to fellow Muslims – the Shias and the Ahmadiyaas … And Chirstians .. less said the better …
abheek
😛
hmmmm do you want links
btw what is the story of col prohit?
visit my blog
and see the vedios ….
mbik14.blogspot.com
Mr. Longley,
You seem to have gotten a little side tracked here. Your original argument was that the Indian accusations of Pakistani involvement in the Mumbai attack are a fabrication. So far you have offered nothing in the way of specific arguments supporting your contention though. Instead you seem to accuse us of some sort of blind bias in favor of India that keeps us from seeing that it is indeed India not Pakistan witch is the epicenter of the current troubles. I would respond that up until the Mumbai attack, India has been a bit player. I would say your problems on Pakistan’s western boarder have little to do with India. Any imminent attack by the US across Pakistan’s western boarder seems less likely. It seems some in Pakistan need a more immediate threat.
Relations between the US and India through the years haven’t exactly been good. I would say they have ranged from tolerant to rather touchy. The US and India find themselves with a number of common interests, but so far keep their relationship informal to a large degree. This is directly because the US does not wish to abandon it’s longtime relationship with Pakistan, however strained that relationship may be. The US would rather work whatever is left of that relationship until the Pakistanis themselves ultimately decide whether they wish to sever our old relationship.
By the way; I don’t believe all evidence the Indian’s put in front of us either. I have a hard time believing that India has accounted for all of the Mumbai terrorists. That is a suspician though, not a contention. I’m not sure that would help the Pakistani position though should my suspicion prove true.
Mr. Longley – Your blog is a cornerstone of truth or what … or does it have videos of how to do suicide bombing and kill innocents? Wont think any sane perosn would be even interested to go anywhere near it…
Going by the adage of not wrestling with a pig .. you get dirty but the pig loves it .. I will no more argue with you … dont want to get dirty
Neo,
Those comments from “Bill Longley” were meant to sidetrack anyone who would fall for his bait. He was’nt sidetracked – he knew exactly what he was doing.
You are not completely right about relations between US and India not being good through the years – it was not all that great right up to the early 90’s – but things started changing since then. And after Bush took over, we have had the best relations with the US in our history. The Indo-US civilian nuclear deal is something that would have never happened even 10 years back and is a testament to a growing relationship.
You are right on the money about the US not wanting to upset its relationship with Pakistan – and that will remain the case as long as they are providing the supply lines for troops in Afghanistan. and occasionally helping US intel in spotting terrorists who can be dispensed with by the ISI.
Regarding the Mumbai attacks, there is enough evidence pointing to the Lashkar’s hands – it was enough to make the UN ban members of this group for the attack
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/12/10/un.lashkar/index.html
Instead of coming to grips with the mounting evidence that points the fingers squarely at pakistan (the attackers were all pakistani), “Bill Longley” wants to talk about Colonel Purohit, Indian caste system and just about anything that comes to his mind.
If this was such an evil plan by India to foist evidence on Pakistan, it leads to the next question – why exactly did India do this ?
so that it can go to war ?? nope. it hasnt done anything in the last 2 months. and wont do anything as long as there is a US troop presence in Afghanistan.
so that it can prove that Pakistan is a terror sponsoring country? – after what has happened in the last 7 years, what more proof does any one need? Starting from Khalid Sheik Muhhammad right up to Baitullah there is a pakistani connection to so many terror attacks in Afghanistan. If any one remembers the US has intel about ISI’s involvement in the Kambul Indian Embassy bombing of last May.
I think by now, every one knows that we are dealing with duplicituous ally that is for all purposes the epicenter of islamic terrorism. a nation that is willing to use terrorism as an instrument of state policy.
Please check out Zardari’s op-ed in the Washington Post. It is blackmail, plain and simple. And this guy is supposed to be some one that you can “deal with” as opposed to the paki taliban.
I think that the situation has reached a tipping point – the question now is how much of Afghanistan can be salvaged ? or would the US finally come to terms with the fact that pakistan considers afghanistan to be its “near abroad” – like the way russia considers georgia.
hello MR NS
do you know when indian elections are takeing place???????????//
i know you have to use common sence
NS : As a fellow Indian, I understand the agony that you are going through. This is partly due to the (ultimate) Soft state that India has been turned into. Also it is unfortunate that how Western nations turn a blind eye and (still) fall for inane reasoning that this is due to Kashmir problem … all the while ignoring the basic fact that whole of Pakistan (and Bangaldesh) was once part of India .. which was snatched away from us by the maruding hordes that came from Arabia/Turkey/Mongolia/Afghanistan ….The point of reference here is the ultimate stupid statement that Milliband made when he came visiting India … Western nations need to wake up and judge the situtaion by facts instead of being taken for a ride (time and again) by the Paki establishment
Somethings cooking between UK & Pakistan. Look at the recent developments:
Milliband, the UK Foreign Secretary comes down to India and links Mumbai attacks to Kashmir.
UK calls for truce with Taliban
Now Pak FM makes this statement.
Question to be asked is: Are the brits serious about war on terror?
A Pakistani diplomat saying “Mumbai evidence could be fabricated” is right up there with Musharraf when he said “There are no Al Qaeda or Taliban in Pakistan”
“hello MR NS
do you know when indian elections are takeing place? i know you have to use common sence”
Well, it would better if you learnt to spell.. but i digress.
The elections are scheduled for April 2009 – a good 5 months after the attack. And as some one who has not followed Indian politics, you also dont know that terrorism/national security has never been an issue in India. This is the 14th terror attack on India since 2002. No one’s political fortunes are affected by terrorism in India.
Of course your delusions and conspiracy theories are easier for you to handle as opposed to the facts of the case or pakistan’s role as the pre-eminent source of islamic terrorism.
thanks for the entertainment anyways. if this is how you pakis think, atleast the rest of the world should come to know about it. Delusion runs pretty deep across the “land of pure”.
come and visit this site more often “Mr.Longley”.
You are right on the money about the US not wanting to upset its relationship with Pakistan – and that will remain the case as long as they are providing the supply lines for troops in Afghanistan. and occasionally helping US intel in spotting terrorists who can be dispensed with by the ISI.