Brushing aside Islamabad's repeated denials about its involvement in the Mumbai blasts, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Saturday that India will test Pakistan only after giving it 'credible evidence' about 'elements' in that country being behind the July 11 terror strike.
Returning from a six-day tour of Britain and Finland, he said world support was growing for New Delhi's view that terror attacks cannot be justified by invoking 'so-called root causes' and that no country should be used to 'launch, aid and abet' terrorist acts directed against India.
"Before we give them evidence, what is the use of talking about it," he told reporters when referred to Pakistan's repeated claims that there was no substance in India's contention about the involvement of ISI and terror groups based in Pakistan in the Mumbai train bombings.
"We have to give them evidence. We will give them credible evidence. We feel that there is involvement of elements (based) in Pakistan," Dr Singh said. "We will test them once we have given them evidence."
Dr Singh, who shared evidence of Pakistan's involvement in the Mumbai blasts with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the European Union leadership during his visit to London and Helsinki, said, "There is great appreciation of India's stand that you cannot have a situation where terrorist acts are justified by invoking so-called root causes."
He was apparently referring to the Pakistani leadership's repeated claims that 'root causes' are responsible for terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere in India.
"There is appreciation of the predicament India has been in. There is today strong support for India and what India pleads, that foreign territories should not be used to launch, aid and abet terrorist acts directed at our country," Dr Singh said.
The prime minister said he discussed the issue of terrorism with Britain and the EU and ways and means to jointly fight it through coordination of intelligence, information and measures to deny funding to terror groups.
"This (coordination with Britain and the EU) is an ongoing process and we have to work closely with like-minded countries," Dr Singh said, adding there is growing willingness in the world to work with India.
He noted that the world has discovered terrorism only after the 9/11 attacks in the US, whereas India has been affected by the menace since 1989.
To a question, the prime minister said any move to abolish the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act has to be considered in view of the prevailing security situation in the northeast and Jammu and Kashmir.
Therefore, he said, no action can be taken immediately on the Jeevan Reddy Committee's report, which has reportedly recommended the scrapping of the anti-terror law.
