India Denies Pakistan Charge Of Assisting Taliban

India has denied charges levelled against it by the Pakistan foreign office that it is assisting Taliban militants in Islamabad's fight with the Al-Qaida and the Taliban.

Foreign Minister S M Krishna said India had nothing to do with whatever was happening in Balochistan or elsewhere in Pakistan, and developments in that country were of "their own making." He felt there was "total confusion" in Pakistan and that there was no effective government functioning there.

A Pakistani foreign office spokesman had said there existed "evidence" in South Waziristan Agency (SWA), which proved Indian "involvement" in the continuing uprising and insurgency in the agency (tribal) area. He said that the evidence found against India in South Waziristan included Indian arms, bombs and medicines. He said that the evidence was being investigated and Islamabad was yet to convey the proof to the Indian government.

Earlier, Pakistan's chief military spokesman, Major-General Athar Abbas, said that Pakistani troops had recovered "Indian arms, ammunition, literature and medical equipment" from Sherwangi, a key militant base. He added that Islamabad would soon raise the issue with India through diplomatic channels.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik also alleged that India was funding and helping the Taliban based along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and fomenting unrest in Balochistan.

Pakistan's allegation of Indian involvement has failed to convince the global community. U.S. secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton three days ago dismissed the Pakistani claims, saying there was no evidence of Indian involvement in Pakistan.

Pakistan's offensive in South Waziristan has sparked a string of suicide bomb-attacks in the country that has killed over 300 persons since mid-October.

by RTTNews Staff Writer

For comments and feedback: editorial@rttnews.com