The Dossier Difficulty

  Before Pakistan got the Mumbai Dossier from India the general perception was that the Mumbai attack was a meticulously planned operation and that none except professionals had anything to do with it. After all ten persons attacking multiple targets to bring a massive city to a halt and put a country into a tailspin had to be very special people trained and launched by even more special people. So when the Indian finger pointed in the only direction it can point to –Pakistan and its military and  ISI—there were some takers.

 

  After the Mumbai dossier has been made public people are confused. The dossier details a badly botched operation that succeeded only because of the incompetence and many lapses of the Indians themselves. The attackers look like complete nincompoops. They were carrying pickle, shaving cream and other toiletries all made in Pakistan. Even the dinghy engine had the Pakistani manufacturers name in plain view. These people called numbers in Pakistan to get instructions at every single step lest they be confused with anyone except a Pakistani. One attacker miraculously survived to tell the tale and has been accepted as a Pakistani after an investigation. Pakistan is following up on the information provided by this survivor even though he obviously gave it under extreme interrogation.

 

  The dossier raises several questions. What was the aim of the attack—hostage taking, suicide bombing or random killing? The attackers seem to have done a bit of all these without any conclusive results. What was the purpose of the operation? Mayhem or terror or economic destruction or some kind of message to meet their demands---again they failed on many counts. Why leave a clear trail pointing at Pakistan with planted items? No explanation answers this question except that they wanted India-Pakistan relations put on the previous hostility track and perhaps lead to a conflict situation. Is it in Pakistan’s interest to do any of these things? Obviously not---Pakistan would not want a problem with India because of the threat across its western borders and the fact that Pakistan has been totally committed to the composite dialogue with India. Who would want deterioration in the India-Pakistan situation? Non-state actors within India and Pakistan using local infrastructures.

 

  The situation calls for a joint investigation and a resumption of dialogue between India and Pakistan. The pre-condition can be that the purpose will be to find the planners, perpetrators and their collaborators so that they can be brought to justice. Blame, pressure and threats will not bring closure—it can create complications and lead to unpredictable consequences. The world has accepted that Pakistan as a state is not involved. Pakistan has offered joint investigation. Pakistan is also investigating and taking action. India needs to reciprocate.