As Union home minister P Chidambaram accused Pakistan of providing support to 26/11 attackers on Wednesday, in Islamabad, Pakistan's interior ministry chief Rehman Malik claimed the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) was being targeted by a "propaganda campaign".
Armed with the confession of Lakshar terrorist Abu Jundal, Chidambaram said "state players" in Pakistan were aware of the attack. "His (Jundal's) confession proved that there was state support or state actors' support for 26/11 massacre. You can't be in denial mode always."
He, however, clarified, "When I say state actors, at the moment, I am not pointing my finger at any particular agency. But clearly, there was state support or state actors' support for the 26/11 massacre."
Jumping the gun, Malik, however, came out with a fervent defence of the ISI, the "elite agency" which was being "targeted by a propaganda campaign".
"We are proud of our ISI, which is defending Pakistan," Malik said, "Its role in the war on terror is well recognised by everybody".
Asking Pakistan to provide voice samples of all the accused in Mumbai attack, the home minister said his counterpart in the neighbouring country has sought information on Jundal.
{{/usCountry}}Asking Pakistan to provide voice samples of all the accused in Mumbai attack, the home minister said his counterpart in the neighbouring country has sought information on Jundal.
{{/usCountry}}"We have been trailing him (Jundal) for more than a year and hunted him down successfully. Similarly, we will catch all perpetrators of the Mumbai attack," Chidambaram said.
(With agency inputs)