The war of words between India and Pakistan which erupted during foreign minister S.M. Krishna’s visit to Islamabad in July does not seem to end. His counterpart Pakistan foreign minister S.M. Qureshi seems to have found a new target in the Indian home secretary after Mr Krishna’s termed home secretary G.K. Pillai’s remarks on Pakistan Army’s role in 26/11 as “ill-timed”.
Mr Qureshi’s repeated gestures of pointing fingers at Mr Pillai has irked the top security brass here who feel that the Pakistan Army is behind the new spat emerging between India and Pakistan.
Mr Qureshi recently criticised Mr Pillai once again for his remarks on Pakistan Army’s role in 26/11and justified his statement comparing Mr Pillai with Jamaat-ud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed, saying it was “balanced and objective”.
“Mr Qureshi is a puppet in the hands of the Pakistan Army. Such comments are being made by him at the behest of the Pakistan Army and the ISI,” a senior government official said.
While Mr Qureshi has contended that there was “no justification” for Mr Pillai to make the “unhelpful” comments which spoiled the atmospherics for his talks with Mr Krishna, there is growing belief in the Indian security establishment that the Pakistani Army derailed the peace talks.