Daily Times, July 15, 2005
Manmohan points finger at Pakistan
Indian prime minister says Mumbai attackers aided from ‘across border’
By Iftikhar Gilani
NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Friday that attackers responsible for the Mumbai train blasts had been “supported by elements across the border”, and warned that the incident could affect the peace process with Pakistan.
On his first visit to Mumbai since Tuesday’s blasts that killed 179 and injured nearly 800, Singh told a news conference that the peace process would struggle to advance unless Pakistan cracked down on militants operating from its soil.
“The terrorists (responsible for the blasts) were supported by elements across the border without which they cannot hit with such effect,” Singh said on Friday. “I explained to the government of Pakistan ... that if such acts of terrorism are not controlled, it is exceedingly difficult for any government to carry forward what may be called the normalisation of relations and the peace process,” he said.
Asked whether talks on confidence-building measures with Pakistan would continue, Singh said, “Pakistan, in 2004, had solemnly given an assurance that its territory would not be used to promote, encourage, aid and abet terrorist elements directed against India. That assurance has to be fulfilled before the peace process or other processes can make progress,” he said.
He said that the terrorists wanted to “destroy India’s economic strength, unity and communal harmony”. “We cannot allow this to happen,” he said.
AP adds: Investigators are certain, Singh said at the news conference, that terror cells are operating in Mumbai and many other parts of India.
But he vowed that the bombers would be punished, saying: “We will leave no stone unturned – I reiterate, no stone unturned – in ensuring that terrorist elements in India are neutralised and smashed.”
“We have to recognise that the terrorists are trying to spread their tentacles across the country,” the Indian prime minister said.
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