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Terror Threat During Polls
India not to share info with Pak
Ashok Tuteja
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 12
Indian officials say New Delhi is not keen to share with Pakistan any information about threats to Indian leaders from Pakistan-based terrorist groups in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections.

“We have seen how the Pakistanis have responded so far to the fool-proof information we provided to them on the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks…they are still not seriously conducting the investigations into the mayhem,’’ sources said.

They wondered whether any useful purpose would be served by sharing any information with Islamabad.

With the Pakistani political leadership engaged in a game of one-upmanship with the country’s army, New Delhi is of the view that Islamabad’s action against the terrorist groups does not match with its commitments to root out terrorism from the Pakistani territory.

The Pakistan foreign office had yesterday summoned India's Acting High Commissioner Manpreet Vohra and referred to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s recent statement about threats from Pakistan-based terrorist groups to disrupt the Lok Sabha poll process.

“The Acting High Commissioner of India was called in today by director general (South Asia) to convey that the government of India share with the government of Pakistan any specific information available with it which had prompted such an allegation by them," the Pakistan foreign office said in the statement later.

“It has been Pakistan's consistent position that countering terrorism requires pragmatic cooperation," it said.

The development came amid reports that Pakistan-based terrorist outfits, finding it difficult to cross into India due to heavy patrolling along the India-Pakistan border, were using fake passports to take the Nepal route to enter India.

Meanwhile, the sources reiterated that there was no question of resuming the bilateral dialogue with Pakistan until Islamabad punished those behind the Mumbai attacks.

Islamabad calls for sharing intelligence
Afzal Khan writes from Islamabad

Taking serious note of Prime Minister’s apprehension about a possible terrorist attack from its territory during the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in India, Pakistan has asked India to provide specific information.

The acting Indian High Commissioner was called in on Saturday evening by the Foreign Office to convey that India should share with Pakistan any specific information available that had prompted it to level such an allegation.

It said New Delhi’s dismissal of resumption of the composite dialogue process and claims of Pakistan trying to interfere with the Indian election process reveal proclivity in India to win votes by creating, encouraging and encashing on anti-Pakistan frenzy.

Adviser on interior affairs Rehman Malik said Pakistan had asked India to share information which prompted the PM to issue a public statement about possible Taliban attacks during the Indian elections. He said since the statement had come from the highest level, therefore, the Pakistan government could not ignore it.