Islamabad:
With 48 hours to go before the next round of Indo-Pak talks, Pakistan's announcement that it has chargesheeted and will prosecute at least 5 people in connection to the Mumbai terror attacks soon is well timed.
But it is still unclear over just what else Pakistan will put on the table at the meeting in Egypt this week. First, between the foreign secretaries and then between prime ministers Manmohan Singh and Yusuf Raza Gilani in Egypt.
Pakistan's interior minister again demanded information from India on the Samjhauta blasts and insinuated a "foreign hand" supporting Taliban terrorists in the frontier province, even though last week, Pakistan officials have earlier refused to back up such allegations with evidence.
"We keep hearing rumours, insinuations that some of these groups in the tribal areas are supported or funded by India. Is there any truth in these rumours? Is there any evidence that any of these groups anywhere in NWFP are being supported by India?" asked Major General Athar Abbas, Army Spokesperson, Pakistan.
"This is a question that can be only dealt with by the intelligence agencies. I can only tell you about the military operation. We do have credible information that hostile intelligence agencies are working behind them .They are supporting them, providing them equipment, funding that is required to fight this kind of war. So unless there is a foreign support to these locals they cannot sustain for long this insurgency," he added.
India has consistently ignored or rubbished such charges.
And now, given the Prime minister's disclosure that India has been talking to Pakistan's ISI, there are obvious questions over the motive behind Rahman Malik's statements at this time.
Action against the Mumbai attackers is being seen as a major marker of progress for talks. But this may not be without India having to deflect Pakistan's efforts to shift focus from what New Delhi increasingly sees as the core issue - Pakistan's willingness and ability to tackle anti-India terror groups.
But it is still unclear over just what else Pakistan will put on the table at the meeting in Egypt this week. First, between the foreign secretaries and then between prime ministers Manmohan Singh and Yusuf Raza Gilani in Egypt.
Pakistan's interior minister again demanded information from India on the Samjhauta blasts and insinuated a "foreign hand" supporting Taliban terrorists in the frontier province, even though last week, Pakistan officials have earlier refused to back up such allegations with evidence.
"We keep hearing rumours, insinuations that some of these groups in the tribal areas are supported or funded by India. Is there any truth in these rumours? Is there any evidence that any of these groups anywhere in NWFP are being supported by India?" asked Major General Athar Abbas, Army Spokesperson, Pakistan.
"This is a question that can be only dealt with by the intelligence agencies. I can only tell you about the military operation. We do have credible information that hostile intelligence agencies are working behind them .They are supporting them, providing them equipment, funding that is required to fight this kind of war. So unless there is a foreign support to these locals they cannot sustain for long this insurgency," he added.
India has consistently ignored or rubbished such charges.
And now, given the Prime minister's disclosure that India has been talking to Pakistan's ISI, there are obvious questions over the motive behind Rahman Malik's statements at this time.
Action against the Mumbai attackers is being seen as a major marker of progress for talks. But this may not be without India having to deflect Pakistan's efforts to shift focus from what New Delhi increasingly sees as the core issue - Pakistan's willingness and ability to tackle anti-India terror groups.
