Thaindian News

Islamabad, Dec 5(ANI): Pakistan had agreed to share information with India on the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, a diplomatic cable released by whistle-blower website WikiLeaks has revealed.

ISI Director General Pasha had “concurred in the release of the “tearline” information to be passed to the Indians,” said the leaked cable, which was classified as ’secret’ by the then US Ambassador to Pakistan, Anne W. Patterson.

According to the 2009 document, Patterson had called on Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on January 2 to discuss follow-up to the Mumbai investigation.

“Zardari said he had been briefed by Lt. General Pasha on his meeting with DCIA, and he had approved the release of “tearline” information to the Indians. He wanted to emphasize he (and General Kayani) were fully committed to better relations with India,” said the cable.

Another leaked document said that “Pasha has just approved the sharing of tearline information on Pakistan’s investigation with Indian intelligence, after assurances from CIA that information would be tightly held in intelligence channels only.”

The cable, whose subject was “Preserving Information Sharing”, said: “Gaining GOP approval for this release was a significant step forward for the Pakistanis. But as Ref A notes, “the question of information sharing may be overtaken by events.” If Pasha is embarrassed by what is essentially public dissemination without the Indians providing the results of their own investigation to Pakistan, it will undercut Pakistan’s ability to pursue its investigation, generate a public backlash in Pakistan, and could undermine Pasha personally,”

“Therefore, we believe Department should urge the GOI to delay the release of information about their investigation until intelligence and law enforcement sharing with the GOP (and with us) has been able to move forward,” the US embassy cable quoted Patterson as saying. (ANI)