Political supporters of Pakistan in the Kingdom are doubtful about statements in the media saying that Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asked Pakistani Premier Yousuf Raza Gilani to send the Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence Lt. Gen. Shuja Pasha to India in order to exchange information in the aftermath of terror attacks on Mumbai. “We never requested any officer of an intelligence agency to come to our country. Their agency RAW is active in our tribal areas, but Pakistan never asked for its assistance. How can they request the assistance of one of Pakistan's highest level officials?” said Ghulam Nabi Butt, the overseas chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Community Group. Butt emphasized that as the issue of Kashmir was close to being resolved, the Indian army planned the Mumbai attack to divert the world's attention and to gain sympathy. Ahsan-ul-Haq, member of the Pakistan Repatriation Council (PRC) said that India should seek the help of Pakistan rather than casting blame. “President Zardari has already made it clear that the prime minister intended to send the Director, not the Director General of ISI.” President Asif Ali Zardari has stated that Pakistan was ready to cooperate with India in investigating the Mumbai terror attacks and appealed for calm, and argued that any increase in Indo-Pakistan tensions would be a victory for the extremists. Malick Azhar, the Western Region coordinator of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), was also critical. “The nation suffered as a result of this one-man show. The PM should ask parliament before talking about such a delicate issue”. “Asking for the DG-ISI openly is the same as saying that the Pakistani intelligence agency is the culprit in the attack, and this is very humiliating. Even if the government has agreed to send the representative of ISI, he should only be sent for assistance, not to be investigated,” said Azhar. Hamdullah Usmani, the president of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam in Saudi Arabia, said that it seemed that the words of the prime minister have been twisted. “The DG-ISI should never be sent. Being at the highest echelon of the intelligence agency, he should stay far removed from the matter”. Malick Muhiuddin, a leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) said it seemed that Prime Minister Gilani had spoken in confusion and in a rush when he said he would send the ISI chief for support. “He did not think about the delicacy of the issue. Terrorism is a subject to be dealt with between foreign ministries. The ISI has no involvement in the issue”. He said that Pakistan did not request the presence of an Indian army or intelligence official in the aftermath of the terrorist attack at Islamabad's Marriott Hotel. Former federal minister for population welfare, Chaudhry Shahbaz Hussain from PML (Q) also told Saudi Gazette that it was not proper to send the most elite member of a sensitive organization to India. However, Riyaz Bukhari,president of the Pakistan People Community in Saudi Arabia said this news was actually being misinterpreted. “The statement was not made the way that it has been presented. It was blown out of proportion by the media.” Bukhari criticized the opposition for only focusing on gaining a political advantage. “There is no communication gap between the government and the opposition parties. The complaints should be solved internally,” he said. Meanwhile, President Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani have contacted all political leaders of Pakistan who have assured them of their full cooperation.
