Pak Brigadier ambushes Indian Army Chief

INDIA'S stated position on the role of Pakistan's ISI in the recent Indian embassy bombing in Kabul came under sharp criticism from the latter's High Commission official in New Delhi on Wednesday, after it was parroted by Indian Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor at a public function, reports PTI.

Delivering a lecture on the 'Role of the Indian army in a Changing Security Paradigm' at the United Services Institute of India, Kapoor squarely put the blame of the Indian embassy suicide attack on Pakistan's ISI.

"Pakistan's biggest challenge is to reign in the ISI. As its involvement in incidents like the terrorist attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul are reasons enough for it to be reigned in," Kapoor said.

Elaborating on the ISI's recent activities, he added: "There has been political and military support to the Taliban from outside over a long period now."

No sooner had Kapoor made these remarks, Pakistan's Defence Attache in India Brigadier Muhammad Iqbal, who was one of the invitees to the lecture, rose to his feet to counter the Army chief's contention.

Iqbal said: "Though it is a month now since the Kabul incident, there has been no evidence connecting Pakistan or the ISI to the attack on the Indian embassy." Kapoor's only response to the Pakistani official's counter-point was a broad smile, along with the words, "as a good neighbour, I will not comment on your comment."