E-Paper
Sacking of Pakistani NSA unfortunate: Pranab
New Delhi has not exhausted its diplomatic options in its attempt to bring those behind the Mumbai terror attacks to book, External Affairs Minister, Pranab Mukherjee has said.
New Delhi has not exhausted its diplomatic options in its attempt to bring those behind the Mumbai terror attacks to book, External Affairs Minister, Pranab Mukherjee has said.
“We have not reached the end of the road,” Mukherjee said in an interview to a television channel. “When I say that all options are open... all options are open. There is no need of picking up of option A, B, C, D. Pakistan, what they have asked for we have given them. We expect them to act on it. If they don’t act what follow up step we will take at what time it will take place (only) future course will decide.”
Mukherjee called the sacking of Pakistan’s National Security Advisor an “unfortunate situation”. “But we have no option. We only have an option with the government of the day. Whether the government for the day is with real power or not, it is not for me to look into that. It is not for me to judge. It is for the people of Pakistan to judge.”
On whether India was considering something similar to what Israel has done, Mukherjee said: “I don't agree to that because this is totally wrong. And the situation is not at all comparable. I have not gone and occupied Pakistan’s land, which Israel has done. So how can the situation be compared?”
In an interview to a newspaper, Mukherjee said he was not quite confident that after another 24 hours, Pakistan might not go into denial again (on Kasab’s nationality). “It is so difficult to deal with a country that is constantly denying.”
