New Delhi: The Mumbai Police and Anti-Terror Squad's revelation that the Mumbai blasts are linked to 9/11 has generated a unanimous reaction - a call for the Centre to be more pro-active towards countering terrorism.
Experts believe despite ample evidence against Pakistan for its involvement in promoting terror, the Centre's attitude has been lax.
They have also demand an increased participation of the international community as the terror outfits spread their tentacles across the world.
Opinion: Terrorism Expert at the Institute of Conflict Management Dr Ajay Sahni
"The revelation confirms what we have been saying all through - there is no distinction between local and regional terrorism and international terrorism," says Sahni.
"It confirms that the terror groups are united in their purpose, infrastructure and operation around the world," he adds.
Speaking of the role played by Lashkar, he says, "We have always known that it was the most probable groups to have been involved in the Mumbai blasts. It also clearly emphasises Pakistan's central role in bringing all these groups together and in making the al-Qaida the ideological hub of teh international jehad."
On the recent and much-hyped joint mechanism to counter terrorism agreed upon by India and Pakistan, Sahni says, "I don't think that the joint mechanism should even for a moment be taken seriously. It is nothing more than a fraud committed by the Pakistan President on India."
He says that it is "regretable" that our leadership has been taken in by it legitimised the Pakistani position in the eyes of the world and presented Pakistan as a fellow victim on terrorism instead of what it actually is - principal source and sponser of terrorism.
Opinion: Former High Commissioner to Pakistan G Parthasarthy
Reacting to the revelations, Parthasarthy says, "I am not surprised. But firstly, I would like to explain that the link between the al-Qaida and the Lashkar goes back to 1987. It was formalised in 1998 and they reinforce each other."
"We also have evidence that when we generously released Masood Azhar during the IC-814 highjacking, he first went and met Osama bin Laden. So, the al-Qaida has been working with the Lashkar in coordinating terrorism across the world." he adds.
Parthasarthy informs that this is the first instance when there is concrete evidence that the al-Qaeda was also involved in the financing of the Mumbai blasts.
"However, it is wrong to say that the blasts were masterminded by the al-Qaida. The operative organisation was the Lashkar and I don't think that we should let the Lashkar off the hook," he says.
Terming the Government's attitude as "lackadaisacal", the former high commissioner to Pakistan, says the Centre should be asked why it has not moved the United Nations Security Council under resolution 1363 to declare the Jamaat-ud-dawa as a terrorist organisation.
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"The Lashkar changed its name and called itself the Jamaat-ud-dawa. The Americans have banned the Jamaat-ud-dawa, but the Indians have not yet done so," he says.
While blaming Pakistan for promoting terrorism, Parthasarthy says that the country's reaction to the revelation is very predictable - 'Dawood Ibrahim is not in Pakistan' and 'never heard of Azam Cheema (Lashkar head in PoK)'.
"I think you have got to bring in international pressure. The present Government has no policy on terrorism and it is time they became more proactive," he says.
When questioned if India should demand the extradition three people who had been trained in PoK," Parthasarthy jeered, "So far, we have produced so much evidence against Dawood, have they extradited him?"
"Until Pakistan comes under concerted international pressure, until we persuade the US and the US Congress - because the Bush administration will for its own reasons act slowly - that there is a link between 9/11 and 7/11, things won't move," he says.
He pointed out that there was a dire need for a "greater and more pro-active policy on terrorism" than the Government has followed so far. "The External Affairs Ministry website does not even contain any reference to Pakistan-sponsered terrorism," says Parthasarthy.
Speaking on the issue of involving the FBI into the investigation and subsequently exerting international pressure on Pakistan, he says that the Musharraf administration will be opposed to the idea as it would reveal the links between General Musharraf and the ISI on the one hand and international terrorism on the other.
Former High Commissioner to Pakistan also expresses his concerns over Prime Minister Manmohan Singh agreeing to a joint statement to counter terrorism in the two countries. "The Prime Minister says that Pakistan is also a victim of terrorism. How can he equate India and Pakistan?"
"I think that there is only one way out - join the international community in pressurising Pakistan, become more pro-active than you have been and act tough on terrorism," he says.
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