MK Razdan
ON BOARD PM'S SPECIAL FLIGHT: Pakistan was on Tuesday put on notice by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that its response to the evidence India gives regarding its involvement in the Mumbai blasts would be a test of its sincerity in controlling terrorism.
"Pakistan will have to walk the talk," Singh told journalists on board Air India One, his special flight from Johannesburg to New Delhi.
He was responding to questions about a Mumbai Police claim of a Pakistani hand in the serial blasts and Pakistan's reaction that it will not hand over any suspects to India.
"Whatever has been discovered (by Mumbai police), we shall share that information with Pakistan and test them on how sincere they are in carrying forward the commitment I and President Musharraf have underlined in our joint statement (in Havana)," Singh asserted.
There was condemnation of the Mumbai blasts in the joint statement and also an explicit mention that the two countries will work to control the menace of terrorism, he recalled.
Pointing out that Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and he had just set up the joint mechanism to deal with terrorism, the Prime Minister said it was through this mechanism that Pakistan's response would be sought.
Although the joint mechanism was yet to take off, Singh asked "how else can we ask Pakistan for information (about Mumbai blasts) except through a mechanism like this?"
"We will test the waters," he said during an interaction with journalists which also covered Indo-US nuclear deal, the issue of reservation and special economic zone.
On the India-Pakistan peace process, Singh said it could not move forward unless and until both countries sincerely work to gain mastery over this menace after (of terrorism).
