No guarantee against repeat of Mumbai-like attacks

The government of Pakistan has said on Thursday that it could not guarantee against repeat of 26/11 like attacks in India and the best safeguard against such strikes was de-linking the peace process from action against terrorism and the resolution of Kashmir and water disputes.

“Pakistan is itself facing Mumbai-like attacks almost every other day and when we cannot protect our own citizens, how can we guarantee that there wouldn’t be any more terrorist hits in India,” Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani was quoted by a source as having told the visiting US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates, who called on him. Pakistan suffered its worst year of terrorist violence last year, with more than 3,000 people killed.

Mr. Secretary Gates had in India warned that Pakistani based militant groups who had link with Al-Qaeda, were planning strikes in India with the hope that retaliation would need to a new conflict.

Prime Minister Gilani recalled the steps taken against militant groups saying they had been outlawed and their network was disrupted. In an apparent reference to Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed, who has been accused by India of masterminding the Mumbai attack but has been released on court orders, the prime minister said his government could not prosecute anyone without evidence.

“Pakistan is committed to peace in the region and in this context has been making sincere efforts to resume Composite Dialogue with India, but the response from the other side has not been encouraging. Relations between India and Pakistan should not become hostage to the activities of terrorists