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Musharraf's remark brings up awkward question

Nirupama Subramanian

"Our Intelligence agencies obviously have been operating against each other"

ISLAMABAD: Was a recent remark by President Pervez Musharraf about the "reality" of Intelligence agencies of India and Pakistan "operating against each other" an admission of meddling?

This is what Gen. Musharraf said in an interview to Frontline when interviewer A.G. Noorani asked him if internal security experts should meet and exchange information about threats to each other.

"Yes, indeed we should. May I add that over the past years our Intelligence agencies, obviously, have been operating against each other. Let me talk frankly. This is the reality that we have seen over the last 50 years. Now is the time when Intelligence agencies of both sides, maybe, should reach an agreement to stop interference in each other's internal affairs, if at all there is, I presume it should not be."

Asked by a Pakistani journalist at the weekly Foreign Ministry briefing if this was an acknowledgement, spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam took a broader and more general view of the remark. She said Gen. Musharraf was talking about "a mindset".

"The President's statement was very clear. He was not acknowledging - I can speak for our agencies. Basically he was responding to a question about the allegation that Pakistani agencies were behind the terrorist attacks in India. We don't do that, and I know that there was also some resentment that even though we have evidence why don't we talk about it. We never as a reflex action hurl accusations at others. Basically the President was talking about a mindset - a knee-jerk reaction and immediately there are accusations."

Pakistan co-operated with the international community on the basis of evidence and information and would not act on "baseless allegations".

"We have repeatedly said that if India were to share evidence with us like other members of the international community, we would be ready to co-operate with India as well," she said.

There was no specific proposal for regular interaction between Intelligence agencies of both countries, she added.

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Musharraf's remark brings up awkward question

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