Pak PM checks with Karzai on ISI role in Embassy attack

But in an interview to Sri Lankan newspaper The Sunday Leader, Gilani rejected as “shocking” India’s contention that ISI was behind the Indian Embassy attack. He said such a “blame-game” should be avoided as it “vitiates” the atmosphere.

After Singh raised the issue with Gilani during their meeting on the sidelines of the SAARC summit here on Saturday, the Pakistan Prime Minister assured him that he would conduct an independent investigation to ascertain whether or not ISI was involved in the embassy attack.

In this regard, Gilani had told him that he would meet Karzai to get details. He had also told reporters last night that Karzai had blamed ISI “within an hour” of the incident and he would like to know the basis for his contention.

But The Sunday Leader quoted Gilani as saying “we reject the Indian allegations levelled against our intelligence agencies and Armed forces.”

“Such baseless accusations serve no purpose other than vitiating bilateral atmosphere… It may be recalled that we have condemned the incident in the strongest terms. Against this background, the Indian statement is not only surprising but shocking too.”

The suicide attack in which nearly 60 people, including four Indians, were killed has cast a shadow over the Indo-Pak dialogue process with New Delhi saying that the incident along with ceasefire violations and rising infiltration had created “difficulties” in bilateral ties.