ISI hand suspected in engineer's killing: Pranab

He said that the killing conveys clearly that the Taliban does not want India's hand in the development of Afghanistan.

The hand of ISI in the killing of Indian engineer K Suryanarayana in Afghanistan is being suspected, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Wednesday.

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"Though Pakistan has denied it, there are certain indications that the ISI is equally active. I am told that the ISI had its hands in this. In fact, one of the points we are trying to convey to Pakistan is that terrorists are friends of nobody," Mukherjee said during Question Hour in Rajya Sabha.

The Minister told TDP member C Ramachandraiah that "if the terrorists are against India today, they are equally against Pakistani establishment."

"What is happening within Pakistan is a clear eye opener to the fact that terrorists are friends of nobody. I do not know whether they are friends of themselves," he said.

Mukherjee said that Suryanarayana's killing sends a clear message that the Taliban does not want India's participation in the development of Afghanistan.

"Therefore, they will try to create a situation where we respond in panic to the desire of Talibans and extremists," Mukherjee said.

On his level of confidence on normalising relations with Pakistan, Mukherjee told the member that it depended on the overall geo-political environment and security.