We will monitor further actions by Pak: Mukherjee

New Delhi, Feb 13 (PTI) Welcoming Pakistan's response to
the Mumbai dossier, India Friday said it will monitor further
actions by Islamabad with regard to ending cross-border terror
and underlined that the neighbour has to choose what kind of
ties it wants with New Delhi.

Making a statement in Lok Sabha (Lower House of
Parliament) on Pakistan's admission that the conspiracy was
partly hatched in that country, External Affairs Minister
Pranab Mukherjee said much on the future of bilateral ties
will depend on what actions Islamabad takes to take the Mumbai
case to its logical end.

He said the "substantial gains" in the process of
normalisation achieved during the last five years are at
"grave risk" as the dialogue process is premised on the
commitments given by Pakistan that territories under its
control would not be used for terrorism against India in any
manner.

"In their official response, the Pakistan authorities
have admitted that elements in Pakistan were involved in the
terrorist attacks on Mumbai... This is a positive
development," Mukherjee told the House, a day after Islamabad
conveyed its response.

He noted that Pakistan is still in the process of
investigating the attacks and have taken certain actions,
including the arrest of some of those who were involved and
filed FIRs in Pakistan.

Mukherjee noted that Pakistan has sought further
information and material relating to the investigation and
said India will share whatever it can after examining the
issues raised in Islamabad's response.

Noting that the November 26, 2008 attack was not the
first terror strike in India having emanated from Pakistan, he
said "nonetheless, with Mumbai, a threshold was crossed and it
was imperative that Pakistan act credibly against that
infrastructure to prevent further attacks."

He gave details about developments and India's approach
in the aftermath of Mumbai attacks, including sharing of
evidence with the world to build pressure on Pakistan.
"We are at a point in our relationship where the
authorities in Pakistan itself have to choose the kind of
relationship that they want with India in the future," he
said, adding "much depends on actions in the Mumbai case
reaching their logical conclusion".

He said India "will continue to review the situation
including Pakistan's responses and will take further steps
that we deem necessary in order to protect our people."

Mukherjee pointed out that India has been constantly
guided by the two objectives of ensuring that those who
planned, organised and trained the attackers of Mumbai are
brought to justice and that the infrastructure of terrorism
which exists in Pakistan is dismantled so that there is no
recurrence of such attacks.

Responding to the Indian dossier of evidence given on
January five, Pakistan Thursday admitted that part of the
conspiracy had been hatched in that country and said it had
filed cases against nine terrorists and arrested six of them.

Pakistan, while yielding to the massive world pressure,
also acknowledged that Lashkar-e-Taiba was involved in the
Mumbai attacks.

Mukherjee said handing over of the dossier was the fourth
formal communication made to Pakistan by India. He listed the
three previous ones as his telephonic talk with Pakistan
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, issuing of demarche and
forwarding a letter written by Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone
Pakistani terrorist held during the attacks.

He said Pakistan earlier tried to divert attention from
the terrorist attack and its responsibilities to other issues.

Pakistan engaged in "prevarication, denial, diversionary
tactics and misplaced sense of victimhood" after the Mumbai
attack, the External Affairs Minister said.

"Pakistan's political leadership did condemn the
terrorist attack and promised us full cooperation in
investigating the conspiracy in Pakistan," he said.

"I do not discount in any way either their intent or
their sincerity but the fact remains that the overwhelming
response of official Pakistan to the Mumbai attack was not
appropriate to a terrorist attack where innocents were
massacred in cold blood," he said.

Mumbai attacks were "a crime committed on India, the
conspiracy for which was hatched, planned and organised in
Pakistan," India's External Affairs Minister said in a suo
motu statement.

He said India has "continued to use all means available
and heightened our diplomatic activity to achieve the goals
set for us, namely, to bring the perpetrators of the terrorist
attacks on Mumbai to book and to seek credible steps by
Pakistan to ensure that there would be no recurrence of such
attacks."

The international community has worked with India, using
its influence on Pakistan to ensure that the terrorist
infrastructure and the support provided to such elements is
put to an end, he said.

Describing terrorism emanating from Pakistan as a threat
to the entire world and not only to India, Mukherjee said "the
major onus of responsibility to eliminate this threat rests on
the government of Pakistan."

"The threat of terrorism from Pakistan has emerged as a
global menace and cancer... It is imperative that it
(Pakistan) act with sincerity and act effectively against the
license that terrorist groups enjoy in its territory," the
External Affairs Minister said.

"It is essential that the assurances given to us
repeatedly at the highest level by Pakistan leaders are
implemented as solemn commitments," he said.

"The primary onus of responsibility lies on Pakistan to
fully unveil the conspiracy, identify those guilty and act in
a transparent and verifiable manner," Mukherjee said.

He pointed out that the composite dialogue process with
Pakistan has been at a "pause" and no meeting has taken place
or scheduled because of continued terrorism emanating from the
neighbouring country.

At the same time, the External Affairs Minister
emphasised that India has "no quarrel" with the people of
Pakistan whom he wished well.

"We do not think that they should be held responsible or
face the consequences of this situation. We have, therefore,
consciously and after due deliberation not thought it
necessary or fit to curtail people-to-people contacts, trains
and road links," he said.

He said India has made it clear that the terrorist attack
on Mumbai again underlined the "grave threat" that terrorism
poses to peace and stability and "therefore has to be seen in
the context of the global challenge of terrorism". PTI AKK
PMR