India's dossier could be fabricated: Top Pak envoy

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India's dossier could be fabricated: Top Pak envoy
Swati Maheshwari
Friday, January 30, 2009 7:43 AM (London)

For the first time there's official confirmation that Pakistan is planning to tell India that 26/11 was not hatched on Pakistani soil.

In an exclusive interview to NDTV, Pakistan high commissioner in Britain Wajid Shamsul Hassan has said what Pakistan's response is going to be to the dossier that India has sent to Pakistan on the Mumbai attacks.

The report is in its final stage and is likely to absolve Pakistan of involvement in the terrorist strike on Mumbai.

"Pakistani territory was not used so far as the investigators have made their conclusions. Pakistan territory not used. It could have been some other place. Not the UK as well. Because these were the two places I was concerned about. They categorically informed me that UK was not involved. Pak was not involved. Its territories were not used for planning this operation," said Wajid Shamsul Hassan, Pakistan High Commissioner.

When NDTV posed the question that India and many others won't believe that then the diplomat said: "Why will they not believe if we say so and we are giving facts to show that, may be some other place was used."

On the point that the dossier clearly says so and there are transcripts to show, Hassan said: "Well it could be fabricated, it could be made out you know, you took 45 days to give that sort of evidence although you started blaming Pakistan from day one itself,"

Wajid Shamsul Hassan is a close family friend of the Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari. His comments follow media reports that quote government sources saying Pakistani territory was not used to prepare and plot the Mumbai attack.

"We are not going to do any whitewashing business. We believe in going after facts. Our findings will be acceptable to the world. We will try to satisfy India with our findings. We are addressing the concerns of the world not just India," said Hassan.

India has repeatedly raised concerns about the pace of the investigation and whether it is a genuine effort by Pakistan to identify and bring to justice the perpetrators of the Mumbai attack or just another attempt to deflect the world's attention from its inability or unwillingness to crack down on the terrorist network operating from its soil.

What India could do next:

India already has plans for what it will do in a situation where Pakistan says it is not responsible for the Mumbai attacks.

If Pakistan deflects blame, India's next step will be a political decision.

If Pakistan is serious about prosecuting 26/11 suspects, India may share more evidence - informally and formally.



http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/mumba...9&type=News