In These New Times

Pakistan isn’t involved in attacks, ambassador says
11:22 AM CST on Sunday, November 30, 2008

Bloomberg News Dallas News
Pakistan’s government, military and intelligence service werent involved in the attacks in Mumbai, Pakistan’s U.S. ambassador said.

“Everybody in the world is now coming around to agreeing that the government of Pakistan, the state of Pakistan, the military of Pakistan and even the intelligence services are not directly involved,” Husain Haqqani, Pakistan’s ambassador to the U.S., said on ABCs This Week television show Sunday.

Terrorists in Mumbai attacked two hotels, a Jewish center, a rail station and a cafe this week, killing 195 people, 22 of them foreigners. It was the deadliest attack in 15 years in Hindu- majority India.

Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Nov. 28 said elements from Pakistan, a predominantly Muslim neighbor that has fought three wars with India, were behind the attacks. Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi challenged India to provide evidence of a link.

Haqqani said it was plain wrong to say that militants are harbored by Pakistan. He said the two nations should strengthen each other, rather than fall into the trap of the terrorists, who want us to fight with each other.

If India were to move troops to its border with Pakistan, Haqqani said his government would have to bolster its military presence on the border with India.

“That may have to take troops away from the Northwest Frontier Province and the border with Afghanistan,” Haqqani said. “Nobody wants that.”