Pak 'permanent establishment' reluctant to give up 'love of its life', LeT, JuD

Washington, Dec 24 (ANI): The "permanent establishment" in Pakistan is reluctant to give up the "love of its life", namely the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba /Jamaatud Dawa, the terrorist organization behind the Mumbai terror attacks, despite repeated requests from the United States.

The US has clearly said to Pakistan that what happened in the past will not be brought up, but there should be verifiable assurances that Pakistan has indeed decided to "turn the corner", the Daily Times reported.

So far, the Zardari Government has not made up its mind if it is going to accede to the US request and whether it will provide the US access to the key terrorism-linked figures said to be in custody.

The US is also pressing Pakistan to take actions that would clearly and unmistakably indicate that a decision has been made to turn the page and begin to root out the network of extremist militancy that has plunged the South Asian region in a state of crisis, triggering fears among the public that the two neighbours may be headed for war.

The US has also asked for access to some of those arrested in connection with the Mumbai attacks, something that would prove that Pakistan has indeed decided to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism.

Washington realises that what is being demanded is not going to be completed overnight. However, as long as the state apparatus in Islamabad genuinely and finally decides that the time has come to liquidate the sources and networks of militant extremism, there will be no further demands made of Pakistan, the paper said.

Pakistan has also been assured that contrary to what some in Islamabad believe, the current US demand is not going to be a prelude to a sequence of demands. (ANI)