Use official channels, India tells Pakistan

NEW DELHI: External affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee has told Pakistan to go through official channels if it wants further information from India on the Mumbai terror attacks. Mr Mukherjee said that Pakistan should say officially if it wants further information from India on the terror dossier that was shared with Pakistan over a month ago.

The Indian establishment has been exceedingly annoyed with the Pakistani government for sending messages to India through the media instead of using the official channels of communication. Till now, Mr Mukherjee has reiterated that Pakistan has not conveyed any information or given any feedback through official channels .

Even information about when Pakistan would hand over the findings of its investigation to India and the international community has been made public through the media. In fact Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had said that the findings would be made public either on Monday or Tuesday. But now reports say that the findings would be handed over to India in the coming few days.

Earlier foreign secretary Shivshankar Menon had also expressed the government���s annoyance with the Pakistani establishment���s style of functioning. He had said that Pakistan was using various fora and audiences instead of the official channels of communication.

``The fact is that we have Pakistan saying various things at various times, various fora and to various audiences,��� Mr Menon said. He had also said that India would not react to statements from the media or statements through speculation and guesswork. ���If they (Pakistan) have something to say to us, they should come and directly talk to us,��� he added.

This is not the first time India is asking Pakistan to communicate through official channels. The last time Mr Mukherjee had asked Pakistan to communicate through official channels, the Pakistan foreign office had called in India���s ambassador to Pakistan Satyabrata Pal and briefed him on the formation of a three member commission to look into the terror attacks.

Sources had said that Pakistan had developed a technique of first leaking information through the media and through third countries but not directly to India. ``We have seen the teaser trailer,������ sources had said.