Islamabad:
After returning to India from Islamabad, External Affairs Minister SM Krishna finally defended Home secretary GK Pillai, who was attacked by the Pakistani Foreign Minister during a press briefing on Thursday night that concluded six-hour talks between Krishna and his Pakistani counterpart, SM Qureshi.
During the press conference, Krishna did not object as Qureshi tried to equate remarks made by Indian Home Secretary GK Pillai about the ISI's alleged role in the 26/11 to hate speeches made against India by Lashkar-e-Toiba leader Hafiz Saeed . (
Read: After 6-hour-long talks, Pakistan slams Pillai)
On Friday, however, Krishna was clear in his support of Pillai. "Where is the question of comparison between the two statements? Hafiz Saeed is a person who has been speaking out of turn against India. He has been crying for jihad against India. We have always said such people in Pakistan who incite hostile anti-India propaganda will not help to smoothen the relationship between the two countries. Pillai is supposed to have made a statement to a newspaper which certainly contains whatever has been told to us through our interaction with David Headley," said Krishna.
He also stressed that the information provided by Headley, a Lashkar operative arrested by America and interrogated recently by Indian officials, had already been shared with Pakistan by Home Minister P Chidambaram during his trip to Pakistan last month. Sources say that the timing of Pillai's remarks was faulty. (
Read: Pillai's remarks uncalled for, says Pakistan)
Defending Foreign Minister SM Krishna, India's Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao told NDTV that the Pakistani Foreign Minister was wrong to say that Krishna agreed with him on Indian Home Secretary GK Pillai. "India did not express any agreement with Pakistan on Pillai's comments," said Nirupama Rao. (
Watch: Krishna never backed Qureshi on Pillai: Home Secy)
The BJP had attacked Krishna for not defending Pillai in Pakistan.Yashwant Sinha told NDTV, "He should have contradicted him immediatelyand set the record straight," (
Watch: Regret Krishna did not defend Pillai, says BJP)
The Foreign Secretary, today said that Home Secretary Pillai had raised valid concerns. She said, "We are definitely concerned about the role of state actors in terrorism."
In an interview to the Indian Express earlier this week, Pillai saidthat Headley's questioning had confirmed "ISI had a much moresignificant role to play in Mumbai attacks... ISI was literallycontrolling and coordinating the attacks from the beginning till theend." Headley was interrogated in America recently by Indian officials.(
Read: ISI men gave 25 lakhs to buy boat for Kasab, others, says Headley)
India's Foreign Secretary, however, maintained that the talks have not collapsed. "There are differences in perception but gap not unbridgeable." She said that the tone and tenor of Qureshi's remarks could have been better, adding, "In diplomacy, as in life, such ups and downs are common."
Earlier, Foreign Minister Krishna also responded to SM Qureshi's taunts, made in Islamabad this morning, that Krishna was on the phone repeatedly to New Delhi during his talks with Qureshi. "I never used any telephone...it's an extra-ordinary statement to make..I have not talked to anybody. But Foreign Ministers are always in touch with government leadership...there's nothing wrong with that that," he said. "But my mandate was so clear and precise that I did not need any additional instructions from Delhi." (
Read: Qureshi taunts Krishna about calls from Delhi)