'Pak has internationalized its internal problems by raking Balochistan issue'

New Delhi, July 24 (ANI): Pakistan has brought its internal problem on the discussion table with India by raising the issue of Indian involvement in Balochistan in Indo-Pak joint statement at Sharm al Sheikh.

Top Foreign Ministry officials said that India has no problem discussing Pakistan's internal problem, and added that Islamabad has internationalized the issue.

Pakistani President Asif Zardari during his meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg last month had already expressed his limitations and internal sensitivities.

Mention of Balochistan and de-linking terrorism with composite dialogue in the joint statement at Sharm-al Sheikh has already created political furore in India.

Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon has already termed the joint statement as a bad draft and Dr. Singh has categorically demystified the confusion surrounding the joint statement within hours after the statement was issued.

Sources said: "Dr. Singh wanted to mention the Mumbai attacks and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani wanted to include Balochistan in the joint statement."

"Gilani's remarks do not hold any credibility and we should not be scared to address any issue," sources said.

"No one from the international community has so far raised fingers on India for its alleged involvement in Pakistan's poorest province of Balochistan," they added.

While Pakistani media and officials claim big diplomatic victory by including Balochistan and de-linking terror with composite dialogue, sources here believe that by starting limited dialogue with Pakistan at Foreign Secretary level India has brought the focus back on terrorism.

Under intense international and Indian pressure, Pakistan had fire walled some proclaimed offenders of the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, but sources say that it has not done too much and composite dialogue can be only resumed when Pakistan takes more concrete steps to dismantle terrorist infrastructure and rein in anti India terrorists flourishing on its soil.

Sources further said that it is a long way to go before we begin composite dialogue as we are dealing with a dysfunctional and multiple power centers in Pakistan. By Naveen Kapoor (ANI)