Premature Comments About Sri Lankan Team Attack: PM Gilani

Saturday, April 11, 2009 at 6:19 pm under Pakistan News

Lahore: Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Saturday distanced himself from a police officer’s claim that India was linked to terrorist attacks on the Sri Lankan cricket team and a police training centre, saying it would be premature to comment till authorities completed their probe.

Gilani said his government would comment on the issue only after it received a final report on the probe into the two attacks. He said the police officer’s claim was made on the basis of “preliminary findings”.

It would be “premature” to point fingers at anyone on the basis of a preliminary report. “Wait for the final report,” Gilani told reporters in his hometown of Multan.

Lahore police chief Pervaiz Rathore had yesterday claimed that there is “credible evidence” of Indian involvement in the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in the city on March 3 and a terrorist siege of the police training centre at Manawan on March 30. He also said that both attacks were carried out by “pro-India Afghans”.

Eight persons were killed and over 20 others, including Sri Lankan players, were injured when a dozen terrorists ambushed the team’s motorcade. None of the attackers have been arrested so far.

Eight police recruits were killed when terrorists stormed the Manawan Police Academy near here. Pakistan Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud claimed responsibility for this attack.