ISI CHIEF TO VISIT INDIA ON PM’S SUMMON

AMagazine New Delhi, Nov 28: The chief of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan Lt General Ahmed Shujaa Pasha will be coming to India in connection with the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. The development came after Prime Minister Dr Mannmohan Singh on Friday asked his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raja Gillani to send the intelligence chief for information sharing. According to reports, Pakistan Army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani will also accompany Pasha to India. The government of Pakistan has reportedly accepted Prime Minister Mammohan Singh’s request and will shortly send General Pasha to India. Pak Prime Minister’s spokesman Zahid Bashir said Singh had made a request to Gilani, asking him to send the ISI chief to India to "cooperate in the investigation of the Mumbai attacks and for sharing certain information". Bashir told reporters that "The Pakistani Prime Minister has accepted this offer. The two sides will work out modalities for the visit of the Inter Services Intelligence chief which is expected to take place soon." The request from the Indian side was made shortly after External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that preliminary information suggested that "some elements" in Pakistan were responsible for the terror strikes in Mumbai. "According to preliminary information, some elements in Pakistan are responsible for Mumbai terror attacks," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters. "Proof cannot be disclosed at this time," he said, noting that Pakistan had assured India that it will not allow use of its territory for launching attacks against this country. Meanwhile, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari also called Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and assured him of Islamabad's cooperation in the war against terrorism. Earlier, in a televised address to the nation yesterday, the Prime Minister had blamed elements outside the country for the terror strikes in Mumbai and warned that India will not tolerate the use of territory of its neighbours for attacks in the country. Singh had said the "well-planned and well-orchestrated attacks, probably with external linkages, were intended to create a sense of panic by choosing high profile targets and indiscriminately killing foreigners."