India virtually rules out Israel type action against Pakistan

India on Saturday, virtually ruled out any Israel type action against Pakistan in the wake of Mumbai terror attacks, saying the situation is not comparable.

External affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee, however, maintained that "future course" will decide how India will deal with Pakistan if the latter does not comply with its demands about ending terrorism.

"I do not agree to that. Because this is totally wrong. The situation is not at all comparable," he said when asked
whether Israeli type offensive against Hamas in Gaza Strip could be an option for the Government against Pakistan.

"I have not gone and occupied any (of) Pakistan's land which Israel has done (in Palestine). So, how the situation can be comparable," Mukherjee asked during an interview to CNN-IBN.

Maintaining that all options are still "open", he said India expects Pakistan to act on the evidence linking elements in the neighbouring country to Mumbai attacks.

"When I say all options are open, all options are open. There is no need of picking up option a, option b, option c, option d. No need of that. I am not responding to that. What I am responding to is options are open," he said.

"We have not reached the end of the road. Pakistan, what they have asked for, we have given them. We expect them to act on it," Mukherjee said.

"If they do not act on it, then what follow up steps we will take and in what space of time it will take place, future course will decide," he said.

Asked about his assessment about who was in charge in Pakistan, Mukherjee said India has no option but to deal with the Government of the day in Pakistan.

"We shall have to deal only with the Government of the day. Whether the Government of the day wields real power or not it is not for me to look into that," Mukherjee said.

"It is not for me to judge. It is for the people of Pakistan to judge, it is for the authorities in Pakistan to judge," he said.

Asked to comment on sacking of Pakistan's national security adviser (NSA) Mahmud Ali Durrani for confirming Ajmal's Pakistani nationality, Mukherjee termed it as an unfortunate situation.

The NSA told the domestic and international media that a preliminary investigation by Pakistan had established that Ajmal, the lone terrorist captured by India during the Mumbai attacks, was a Pakistani national.

India had handed over a 69-page dossier to Pakistani officers on its probe into the Mumbai attacks and the evidence of involvement of Pakistani elements in the terror strikes that claimed over 180 lives.

That document contained a list of "handlers" who are based in Pakistan and were in touch with the terrorists during the attacks in November 26 last year.