Rawalpindi blast puts question mark over Atal's Pak visit

Govt agencies are re-assessing security aspects of the visit in the wake of bid on Musharraf's life.

Indian intelligence agencies were on Friday re-assessing the security aspects of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's visit to Islamabad next month in the wake of a second assassination attempt on Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf.

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Vajpayee is scheduled to arrive in Islamabad January 3 to attend the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit on January 4-6.

Informed sources said intelligence agencies were poring over reports from various sources about the suicide attempt on Musharraf's life in Rawalpindi on Thursday, the second in 11 days, to glean clues about the motives and those behind them.

The military ruler escaped both attempts unhurt but the attacks have triggered serious concerns about the security situation in Pakistan and specifically Vajpayee's personal safety during the visit for the SAARC summit, as they are widely considered "an inside job."

India strongly condemned the "heinous terrorist attack" on Musharraf and expressed sympathy for the victims of the blast - 14 killed and nearly 50 injured.

"This is a very determined attack," a senior official said, commenting on how the twin suicide attackers using separate vehicles nearly succeeded in their attempt.

He said the involvement of elements in the Pakistan Army or Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) could not be ruled out.

G. Parthasarathy, a former envoy to Islamabad, said the attacks could not have been carried out without inside involvement.

"If you take the pattern of the two attacks, they took place in the most heavily militarized portion of any town in Pakistan," he noted.

The Joint Services Headquarters, the army's 10 Crops, in-charge of the city and covert operations in Kashmir, and an active formation called 111 Brigade, which has been behind various military coups in Pakistan and whose commander is handpicked by Musharraf, are all based in Rawalpindi, he noted.

"Therefore, it is inconceivable that such a thing could be done without certain sections within the army conniving or assisting, or both," Parthasarathy told IANS.

He said while Vajpayee should undertake the visit to Islamabad it should be done only after a detailed professional assessment of the security threat perceptions.

"If necessary, we should get assessments from agencies of friendly countries. We should also consult other SAARC partners," he said.

"What we will have to go into is even the trustworthiness of the Pakistani security agencies that will oversee security for the summit," he added.

But a former intelligence official said: "If I were to take a decision I would advise against the visit. I think that would be the advice of the security and intelligence agencies as well because nobody would like to stick his neck out."

Though Parthasarathy felt that the attempt on Musharraf was linked to his Afghanistan policy - withdrawal of support to the former Taliban regime under US pressure - the former intelligence official said it was more likely that it was linked to Musharraf's moves to mend fences with India.

"This is hurting the vested interests of ISI and sections within the army because they will have to go if Kashmir is resolved," he said.

"The best way to derail the whole (peace) process is to attack the Indian prime minister.

"And if that is the assessment of the IB (Intelligence Bureau), RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) and MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) then the prime minister should not go," he said.

Parthsarathy dismissed suggestions that the attack was "engineered" to get public sympathy and support for Musharraf.

"What does he gain by it? He is not going to get American sympathy, which is most important for him. That will depend on what he does with the Taliban," he said and noted that the US envoy in Kabul has been extremely critical of Pakistan's continued covert support for the Taliban.

The Pakistani newspaper Daily Times, in a New Delhi datelined report, said India had sought cooperation of US, British and Canadian intelligence and security agencies to ensure effective security for Vajpayee during the visit to Islamabad.

A high-level security team consisting of elite Special Protection Group (SPG) commandos responsible for the prime minister's security had visited Islamabad to review the security arrangements made by Pakistan for the summit.