PM, Patil conduct high level meets in New Delhi

New Delhi: The Indian government is conducting high level meets with senior intelligence and defence functionaries, even as news filters in that Pakistan has declined to heed an Indian request to dispatch the chief of its Inter Services Intelligence, Lt Gen Shuja Pasha, to New Delhi for consultations. A spokesman of the Pakistani prime minister said that a 'representative' from the agency would travel to New Delhi instead.

In the Indian capital the Indian prime minister met the chiefs of defence services and intelligence agencies in order to discuss the unprecedented attacks in Mumbai and the ways to prevent such recurrences, government sources said.

The meeting brought together the chiefs of the Indian Navy Admiral Sureesh Mehta, Indian Army General Deepak Kapoor and the Indian Air Force Air Marshal Homi F. Major along with the Indian Coast Guard director general Admiral RF Contractor and chief of the Intelligence Bureau, PC Haldar. Also in attendance at the meet were the defence and home secretaries Vijay Singh and Madhukar Gupta.

The meet was preceded by another called by the Indian home minister, Shivraj Patil, which also saw an impressive line up of officials from various forces and agencies. The meeting was attended by the naval chief, the coast guard chief, the army vice chief, the home secretary, Lt Gen ML Naidu and special secretary (internal security) in the home ministry ML Kumawat.

Apparently, a decision was taken to step up security measures along the coastline. Reports suggest that the terrorist 'hit' squad responsible for the terrorist strike in Mumbai had been infiltrated into the city along the sea route.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani move to reverse their earlier decision to send Lt Gen Shuja to New Delhi was made at a late night meeting between president Asif Ali Zardari and the Pakistan Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. Reports suggest that prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was also part of the meet, which was held at the presidency and continued past 1.30am (local time).

"A representative of the ISI will visit India, instead of its director general Lt Gen Shuja Pasha, to help in investigating the Mumbai terrorism incident," a spokesman for the Pakistani prime minister said.