Pakistan must give "cast iron guarantees", says Chidambaram

New Delhi, Jan 4 (PTI) Holding that Pakistan will have
to give "cast iron guarantees" that its soil will not be used
to launch a terror attack like Mumbai carnage, India has said
that it will have to pay an "enormous price" if such a strike
is repeated.

"What we now want is cast iron guarantees" that no state
actors or non-state ones will be allowed to use Pakistani soil
or sources to launch an attack on India, Home Minister P
Chidambaram said.

"Guarantees have to come from those who control the
levers of power and that means, the elected civilian
government, plus the army. These are not guarantees that you
can execute on a piece of paper. These are guarantees that
have to be given to the international community," he told
NDTV.

Asked if Islamabad is capable of honouring such
guarantees, Chidambaram said, "I think so, if all the power
centres of Pakistan genuinely get together and guarantee that
this will not be repeated. See, the price they will pay if
this is repeated, I think (it) will be an enormous price".

On if a terrorist in Pakistan takes this as an
opportunity that in case he does a strike, India goes to war,
he said, "I don't think we would be talking about war now. I
think war is not the word I used.

"I don't know the mind of a terrorist but as I said a
crime of this scale and size cannot be committee without
active help. That is, I am entitled to presume that. And
therefore, repetition of a crime of this size and scale means
that aid and help continue to flow from the state."

He also said that Pakistan's offer of joint
investigation will be relevant only when it admits that Amir
Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist caught during the Mumbai
attacks, is a Pakistani citizen.

Chidambaram, who is scheduled to visit the US next
week, said, "Pakistan's offer of joint investigation is a
meaningless offer. Pakistan's offer is relevant only when it
admits that Kasab is a Pakistani citizen and Kasab's handlers
were Pakistani.

"They have never admitted that. Why do you want to
jointly investigate something with which you say your citizens
have no connection at all ?" he asked.

Replying to questions, the Home Minister said "somebody
who is familiar with intelligence and who is familiar with
commando operation has directed this (Mumbai) operation. And
that cannot entirely be a non-state actor.

"In fact, I presume they are state actors or state-
assisted actors unless the contrary is proved. It is too
enormous a crime and required elaborate planning,
communication networks and financial backing. It was a very,
very sophisticated operation."

On the issue of evidence in the form of Kasab's DNA,
the Home Minister said, "his DNA is available...Now there is a
person in Faridkot village in Pakistan who says he is his
father. His DNA is available in Pakistan. So if somebody
matches the DNA, we will know who is right and who is wrong."

Pakistan, he said, knew the kind of evidence which India
has on Mumbai strikes.

"Pakistan is in total denial because it knows that it
will be completely embarrassed if the truth comes out and the
truth will come out, whether Pakistan likes it or not. Denials
are getting weaker and denials are becoming hollow now." PTI