M A I N   N E W S

No Israel-type action: Pranab
Pak officials debate dossier

Kasab & Durrani Meanwhile, Dawn has a few things to say n Making a mountain out of every molehill appears to be the federal government’s speciality. The confirmation that Ajmal Kasab is Pakistani should not have created a controversy; Kasab’s nationality was an open secret and as early as December 12 this paper published a detailed account of a meeting with an elderly man in Faridkot who claimed to be Kasab’s father. But the bungled announcement, subsequent denials and then confirmations, and the sacking of National Security Adviser Mehmud Durrani shone a spotlight on the disarray at the apex of decision-making... n The incident has raised fresh questions about the government’s ability to keep its top officials on the same page at the same time. n Mr Gilani has sent an unfortunate signal that the messenger is more important than the message... Instead, the big story became petty score-settling at the expense of the national interest...

New Delhi, January 10
India on Saturday virtually ruled out any Israel-type action against Pakistan in the wake of Mumbai terror attacks, saying the situation is not comparable. External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, however, maintained that “future course” will decide how India will deal with Pakistan if the latter does not comply with its demands about ending terrorism.

(A report from Islamabad said top Pakistani officials held a meeting today to review and frame a response to the information dossier provided by India on the Mumbai terror attack, TV channels said.)

“I do not agree to that. Because this is totally wrong. The situation is not at all comparable,” he said when asked whether an Israeli-type offensive against Hamas in Gaza Strip could be an option for the Government against Pakistan.

“I have not gone and occupied any (of) Pakistan’s land which Israel has done (in Palestine). So, how the situation can be comparable,” Mukherjee asked during an interview to CNN-IBN.

Maintaining that all options are still “open”, he said India expects Pakistan to act on the evidence linking elements in the neighbouring country to Mumbai attacks.

“When I say all options are open, all options are open. There is no need of picking up option a, option b, option c, option d. No need of that. I am not responding to that. What I am responding to is options are open,” he said. “We have not reached the end of the road. Pakistan, what they have asked for, we have given them. We expect them to act on it,” Mukherjee said. — PTI