Islamabad: United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made an unannounced trip to Pakistan on Thursday, to further press the south-Asian nation to take action against terrorism following last week's attacks in Mumbai.
"The global threat of extremism and terrorism has to be met by all states, taking a very tough and hard line, and so that is what I am going to discuss," Rice told reporters travelling with her from New Delhi to Islamabad.
Rice is in the region to ease rising Indo-Pak tensions sparked by last week's standoff in Mumbai which left almost 200 people dead.
“Pakistan has to determine its own response here. It just needs to be a robust response and it needs to be effective," Rice said.
Rice first met army chief General Ashfaq Kayani at army headquarters in Rawalpindi.
She then headed for talks with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousef Raza Gilani.
"It is beyond anyone's imagination what happened in Mumbai," Gilani told Rice, assuring her that his government held "common views" on fighting terrorism.
"This was a terrible attack and it can't be allowed to happen again," Rice told Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi before meeting Gilani.
Roads were blocked to traffic and no people were in sight aside from security personnel lining roadsides as her motorcade passed through two cities.
Rice was only scheduled to stay in Pakistan for a few hours.
India's foreign minister said on Wednesday that all options were open in dealing with Pakistan following the terror strikes in Mumbai, as Rice urged Islamabad to cooperate "fully and transparently" in investigations into the attacks that have killed 171 people.
Speaking at a joint news conference with the visiting US Secretary of State, Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee said there was "no doubt" that the militants had come from Pakistan and were coordinated from Pakistan.
"What action will be taken by the government will depend on the response we have from the Pakistan authorities," he said, referring to India's formal demand that Pakistan hand over terrorist suspects and crack down on cross-border militancy. "I am expecting the response, [and] after obtaining the response, whatever the government considers necessary to protect its territorial integrity, safety and security of its citizens, the government will do that," he added.
Rice cut short a visit to Europe and flew to India as tensions soared in South Asia.
"We have to act with urgency, we have to act with resolve and I have said that Pakistan needs to act with resolve and urgency and cooperate fully and transparently. That message has been delivered and will be delivered to Pakistan," Rice said. Later she added that even if "non-state actors" had carried out the attack, it would still be Pakistan's responsibility to take "direct and tough action" against them.
But Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari told CNN that he had been given no tangible proof that the surviving gunman was a Pakistani, and that he doubted the Indian claim. Zardari also signalled he would not accept an Indian demand to hand over 20 of its most wanted men that New Delhi says are living in Pakistan, saying if there was any evidence, they would be tried by his country's judiciary.
Earlier, Mukherjee summoned the army, navy and air force chiefs to warn them to be prepared for terror attacks from the air and the sea in the wake of growing criticism about slack security. The meeting came as Mumbai police discovered leftover explosives hidden in a bag in Mumbai's main train station.
Meanwhile, Congress party head Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday told at an election rally at the ceasefire line in Kashmir that India will give a "befitting reply" to last week's attacks in Mumbai and will not "bow before terrorism".
In the current situation, what difference do you think Rice's presence will make? Do you think there is enough action being taken to resolve this issue? Should more countries get involved to prevent such acts from happening in the furture? Fill in the form bellow to send your comments.
Your comments
As an Indian, I would like to ask what the country would do if someone from another country attacked them? They do not have proper security. How come? How did the terrorists enter with such weapons. I think there is more to this story. It could have been one of our people that were involved.
Chitra
Mumbai,India
Posted: December 04, 2008, 11:20
The entire incident is criminal, however, it is debatable as to where the reponsibility lies. India has internal terrorists functioning in the name of caste. This should be addressed, not ignored.
Mark
UAE,
Posted: December 04, 2008, 10:52
It was funny listening to President Zardari's comments stating that if their is proof, the culprits would face a trial in Pakistan. This is the best and possibly the last chance for the government of Pakistan to come out against terrorism and support the Indian cause by assisting in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Who knows when Pakistan will get another chance?
Manoj
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 04, 2008, 10:35
India and Pakistan are like family - bonded by common history, culture and shared values. The common man on the street in both countries is struggling to make a good living. I think the dastardly acts we are witnessing are politically motivated. For starters, the politicians in both the countries should sit together and take decisive action, without outside interference. We are both capable of handling our problems. More people-to-people contact and less sabre-rattling is the need of the hour.
Ajit Kini
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: December 04, 2008, 09:53
With an administration change only weeks away I doubt any pressure from Condoleezza Rice will make a difference. If the US is serious about assisting India in fighting terrorism, then I think real pressure needs to come from Obama's administration. The issue of the US troops along the border of Afghanistan needs to be discussed, too, as that is a major card in Pakistan's hand. Unfortunately, US-Pakistan history tells us that while Washington talks tough, no real pressure has been placed on Islamabad and no real results have been seen. As for other countries getting involved, there will only be results if there is a serious restructuring of the UN or another organisation is set up to deal with global security. It has to be collective, otherwise the status quo will remain for as long as there are nations harbouring, aiding or sponsoring rogue units, such acts will always continue.
Ambika
Mumbai,India
Posted: December 04, 2008, 09:15
Now that we know our weaknesses, first and foremost, we need to secure our sea, air and train borders and equip our police force with proper training and weapons.
Jayshree Iyer
Delhi,India
Posted: December 04, 2008, 00:27
