Pakistan media does India-bashing

The Pakistan media is engaged in creating hype against India for calling off the Foreign Secretary-level talks with Pakistan that was to begin tomorrow. Blaming Pakistan for the serial explosions in Mumbai and Srinagar that claimed about 200 lives, India had postponed the talks.

However, most Pakistan newspapers today launched a campaign against India for accusing Islamabad of supporting the Mumbai blasts. They have prominently reported the speech of General Pervez Musharraf in the National Security Council where he accused India of playing in the hands of terrorists by stalling the peace talks.

In its editorial, "Back to pavilion", Pakistan Times has said: "Keeping its traditionally hideous style of resorting to delaying tactics with one pretext or the other, India has eventually postponed the July 20 talks with Pakistan". "It's really disgusting that Pakistan is always dragged into any terror incident in India without reason, logic and justification".

Whether it's attack on Indian Parliament or Chattisinghpura Sikh carnage, allegations of Pakistan's involvement had always been deliberate with no substance whatsoever, it adds. Daily Mail, Pak Tribune and Pakistan Times have carried Musharraf's speech as a lead story.

The Pakistan media has also prominently carried comments of Richard Boucher, US Assistant Secretary of State, who has virtually given a clean chit to Pakistan in connection with the blasts. Boucher had told foreign correspondents in Washington yesterday that India should rely on hard evidence before drawing conclusions.

Daily Mail has carried on front page Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's talk with mediapersons on board his aircraft while returning from St. Petersburg that he was not shutting the door on the peace process.

Another leading newspaper, Dawn, in its editorial described the ban on the Balochistan Liberation Army by the United Kingdom as "a symbolic victory for Islamabad in its efforts to muster international support for its counter insurgency operations".

(India Tribune)