Saturday, January 10, 2009

India rules out Israel type action against Pakistan

India virtually ruled out any Israel type action against Pakistan in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, saying the situation is not comparable. External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee [Images], 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 situationcan 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.

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