From Priyanka Tikoo New Delhi, Jul 21 (PTI) Days after Indo-Pak talks ended in sharp differences, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna today broke his silence over the controversy surrounding Home Secretary G K Pillai”s remarks on ISI”s involvement in Mumbai attacks, describing their timing as “very unfortunate”. Clearly unhappy with Pillai”s statement a day ahead of his visit to Pakistan to hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart S M Qureshi, Krishna said if he was the Home Secretary, he would not have spoken about the revelations by Pakistani-American David Headley.
Factually, Pillai was “very much in order” in speaking about the disclosures made by Headley to FBI and Indian interrogators but “the timing was something which was very unfortunate,” Krishna told PTI in an interview here. His whole visit to Pakistan was “under-pinned” by the remarks by the Home Secretary and these had become a “factor” with Pakistan, he said, apparently meaning that the remarks had created a negative environment.
The Minister disclosed that he discussed Pillai”s comments with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh whom he had briefed on his parleys with Qureshi and other leaders. He insisted that the government was speaking in one voice on Pakistan and said he was “glad” that Home Ministry has now announced the appointment of a spokesperson.
In recent months, Pillai has been briefing the media. Disagreeing with the perception that his discussion with Qureshi had ended in a deadlock, Krishna said he was “quite satisfied” with his visit which has bridged the trust deficit “to some extent.
” Answering questions about Qureshi”s undiplomatic remarks after the talks and if he was willing to ignore such behaviour, Krishna said “I am willing to mind my business and concentrate on my work.” However, he dismissed as “ridiculous” the comparison sought to be drawn by Qureshi between JuD chief Hafiz Saeed”s anti-India statement and Pillai”s remarks on ISI. The Minister said the minute details of how the “whole conspiracy of 26/11 was hatched and executed” showed the “diabolical nature of the conspiracy”.
The fact that these details had come out during interrogation of Headley by FBI put much more onus on Pakistan to act against the conspirators, he said. .
