Pakistan yet to act on terror leads: MEA

NEW DELHI : As the first meeting of the Indo-Pak terror mechanism wrapped up in Islamabad, India denied Pakistan’s accusation that it was helping rebels in Baluchistan. Pakistan, attempting to turn the tables on India on the terror issue, had on Tuesday accused India of fanning unrest in Baluchistan, where rebels are fighting for a share in the gas resources during the first meeting of the mechanism in Islamabad that is supposed to look at specific incidents of terror.

``India has nothing to do with developments in Baluchistan,” external affairs ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said. Pakistan had accused the Indian consulates in Afghanistan of fomenting trouble in Baluchistan, making it apparent that Islamabad will use the mechanism to project itself as a victim of terror. All New Delhi could do was deny the charge. “As far as the Indian consulates in Afghanistan are concerned, they have nothing to do with the developments in Baluchistan. They are working in close co-operation with the government and people of Afghanistan in the reconstruction effort.’’

The official spokesperson, responding to a question on the first meeting of the anti-terror mechanism, said that India will judge the ``efficacy of co-operation on the basis of results we achieve.’’ Even though New Delhi has already handed over evidence in several blasts during the foreign secretary level talks in November last year, Islamabad is yet to get back with any information. New Delhi maintains that it will gauge Pakistan’s commitment to fighting terror from the action it takes on the ground on the information shared so far. ``This is about doing things. So, we will see what is done,’’ the official spokesperson said.

A joint statement at the end of the first meeting, which was headed on the Indian side by MEA additional secretary K C Singh and on the Pakistan side by his counterpart Tariq Osman Hyder, said that the mechanism would meet on a quarterly basis, but that any further information would be given at any point of time to the additional secretaries.
The joint statement further said that the two countries agreed to exchange information to help investigations relating to terrorist acts and to prevent violence in the two countries. “The two sides discussed the parameters of the anti-terrorism mechanism and agreed that specific information will be exchanged through the mechanism,’’ the joint statement said.

Pakistan continued to maintain its aggressive stance with railway minister Sheikh Rashid slamming India for refusing to hand over hard evidence. He said it was `irresponsible’ of India to give a photograph of a Pakistani suspect without providing any other details. India had handed over a photograph of the suspect to Pakistan during the terror mechanism meeting.

The progress of the joint mechanism is being watched closely here. Critics have already lambasted the government for according Pakistan the status of a terror victim instead of a perpetrator of terror.