Pakistani officials claim Indian involvement in Lahore attack

Lahore: Predictably enough, a war of words has broken out over the Lahore ambush of the Sri Lankan cricket team by terrorists, with India and Pakistan exchanging some hot words over the incident. While high ranking Pakistani officials claimed that Indian involvement in the Lahore attack could not be ruled out, Indian external affairs minister asked Pakistani officials to show courage and go about dismantling the terror infrastructure which was alive and well in the country. 

Lahore Commissioner Khushro Pervaiz said Indian involvement in the terror attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team could not be ruled out, even as he claimed that security officials had successfully protected the Sri Lankan team, according to local TV channel, Geo TV.

Lending weight, and some authority, to the official onslaught against India was perennial India-baiter, ex-ISI chief and Taliban and al Qaeda patron, retired Lt. Gen Hamid Gul who informed Geo TV that India was trying to weaken Pakistan. He claimed that India wanted to have Pakistan declared as a terrorist state and the attack on the Sri Lankan team was related to this conspiracy.

So far, six escorting police personnel are reported killed, even as six Sri Lankan cricketers along with an assistant coach as well as the fourth umpire of the match were injured. The convoy of vehicles carrying the team and other officials for the match was ambushed as it made its way to the Gaddafi stadium in the city for the third day's play of the second test against Pakistan.

Reacting to the attack, India's foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee said in New Delhi: "The terrorism infrastructure facilities available in Pakistan must be completely dismantled and the perpetrators (of the attacks) brought to justice, otherwise perpetration of these types of incidents will take place.

"I request the Pakistani authorities not to divert the attention of the international community, but to take courage in both hands and dismantle the terrorism infrastructure and take stiff measures against the perpetrators. Only then will such issues be adequately addressed."