Pak backtracks on sending ISI chief to India

Islamabad, Nov 29 (PTI) Pakistan Saturday backtracked on
sending Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Shuja Pasha to
India in connection with the probe into the terrorist attacks
in India's financial capital Mumbai and instead deputed a
representative of the spy agency for the task.

The decision was taken within hours of Premier Yousuf
Raza Gilani agreeing to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's
demand to fly the ISI chief to Delhi.

At a meeting here early Saturday, President Asif Ali
Zardari, Gilani and Army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani decided
against sending Pasha to India which suspected involvement of
Pakistani elements in the Mumbai terror attacks that left over
160 dead.

The unscheduled meeting held at the presidency continued
well past 1.30 am IST.

"A representative of the ISI will visit India, instead
of its Director General Lt Gen Shuja Pasha, to help in
investigating the Mumbai terrorism incident," a spokesman for
the Prime Minister's House said here.

Gilani had yesterday agreed to send the ISI chief to New
Delhi for sharing information on the coordinated terror
attacks on Mumbai when spoke to Singh over phone.

The Pakistan Prime Minister had telephoned Singh to
condemn the attacks and offer Islamabad's assistance in
investigating the incident.

Singh wanted the ISI chief to visit Delhi to put before
him information about the possible involvement of Pakistani
elements, including those belonging to militant outfit
Lashkar-e Toiba (LeT), in the terror strikes.

Separate statements issued by the Prime Minister's
House and the Foreign Office had earlier said the ISI chief
would travel to India in connection with the probe.

The statement from the Prime Minister's House had said
the "ISI chief will visit India at the earliest" after
modalities were worked out by both governments.

Gilani's decision was criticised by the opposition
Pakistan Muslim League-Nation (PML-N),Pakistan Muslim
League-Quaida (PML-Q) and Jamaat-e-Islami. Analysts in India
and Pakistan had also questioned whether the civilian
government led by Gilani's Pakistan People's Party would be
able to convince the powerful military to send the ISI chief
to India.

Talking to a private TV channel Friday night, Pakistani
army spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas had been guarded when asked
about the ISI chief's proposed visit to India.

"As far as the visit is concerned, I can only comment
when we receive a formal order from the government on the
modalities and the details of the visit," he said.

Abbas also said it was "unfortunate" that senior Indian
military officers were "making speculative comments without
even making a preliminary investigation" into the Mumbai
attacks.

Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in
Jodhpur Friday that "some elements" based in Pakistan were
responsible for the terror strikes in Mumbai.

Mukherjee noted that Pakistan had assured not to allow
territories under its control to be used for terrorism
against India.

Singh, indicating involvement of Pakistani elements in
the Mumbai strikes, said on Thursday that India would not
tolerate use of territories of its neighbours for launch of
attacks against it and that "there would be a cost if suitable
measures are not taken by them". PTI