Manmohan Singh rubbishes Pak charge of India exporting terror

Mumbai, Oct 11 (ANI): Categorically rejecting Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik's charge that India is sponsoring some sort of terrorism in his country, the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, on Sunday said that "Pakistan jolly well knows this is a false accusation. There is absolutely no truth to it. India is not in the business of exporting terrorism in its neighbourhood."

Singh, who is in Mumbai, campaigning for the Congress- NCP combine in Maharashtra, was addressing a press conference here.

His reaction was in response to Malik saying that the US should tell India to stop interfering in his country.

" We have asked the US to use its influence to stop India from intervening in Pakistan," Malik had said.

The Prime Minister also expressed his concern over the absence of progress in the 26/11 investigations in Pakistan, saying that Islamabad must sooner or later realise that state sponsorship of terrorism would have a negative fallout for the South Asian region, and therefore, it was in the interest of both countries to join hands and fight this menace unconditionally and with determination to ensure regional peace and stability.

"They should investigate all those who are involved (in that attack) including Hafiz Saeed, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. There should be a fair trial which will result in proper punishment being given to them. We have not lost hope," he said.

"For the first time Pakistan admitted that it (attack) had its origins in Pakistan, the conspiracy leading to the tragedy in Mumbai was hatched in Pakistan, that citizens of Pakistan were involved. Pakistan had never before agreed to this... So there is some progress," he added.

The comment on 26/11 came in response to Malik saying that authorities in Pakistan were unable to detain Jamat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed, the alleged mastermind of 26/11, due to lack of a credible evidence. He had also said Islamabad would not be dictated to by India on the issue.

Malik has also accused India of diverting the international community's attention from the long pending Kashmir issue and the water dispute between both countries by raking up issues like the prosecution of Saeed.

"Whatever we had committed with India, we have done it... in terms of bringing the accused to justice... We arrested the mastermind... It is another thing that they (India) are changing their statements," Malik said.

Malik reiterated that Islamabad has evidence regarding India's hand in Baloch insurgency.

"We have proof of Indian involvement in the insurgency in Balochistan... and I say this on the basis of information extracted from those arrested in this connection... we have the evidence that these trained people (insurgents) are entering into Pakistan from Afghanistan," he said.

He added tat "Our information is that India is involved in training insurgents."

Singh also condemned Saturday's terror attack on Pakistan's Army General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, saying such incidents highlighted the gravity of the menace confronting South Asia, and the need for urgent counter-measures. (ANI)