Need for cooperation

WITHIN hours of an announcement that the government was sending DG ISI to India to help in the investigation of Mumbai blasts, it changed the decision, announcing that a representative of the ISI would now visit India. It is not known what precisely Dr Manmohan Singh told Prime Minister Gilani during their telephonic conversation that led the latter to decide to immediately send the DG ISI to New Delhi. The decision was taken jointly by President Zardari and PM Gilani. Apparently it was taken post-haste and without holding consultations with other stakeholders. It was claimed that the defence establishment had been taken into confidence. This, however, seems doubtful in view of the observations by the ISPR chief, made within hours of the announcement. He said there was no precedent of the sort, and the decision was yet to be finalized. Further, that nothing could be said till the government's detailed orders, explaining the aims and objects of the decision, were received. If those who took the decision conceived it as a bright, out-of-the-box move aimed at allaying New Delhi's suspicions and restoring goodwill, what happened was the opposite. Soon after the announcement, an Indian commentator portrayed it as an indirect admission of culpability. The Times of India gave it another unfortunate twist, publishing the news under the heading "Pakistan's Prime Minister agrees to send ISI chief to Delhi on Manmohan Singh's summons." There were also protests from the domestic side from political parties and ex-servicemen. Among the parties which resented the move was the PML(N), despite its earlier condemnation of the Mumbai blasts and the fact that the party strongly supports improvement of ties with India.