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Home Secy on enjoying Pakistan's hospitality: No one knew 26/11 Mumbai attacks would happen

Speed News Desk | Updated on: 10 February 2017, 1:49 IST

Former home secretary Madhukar Gupta, who had led a delegation of Home Ministry officers to Islamabad for talks a day before the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, has rejected the charges of enjoying Pakistan's hospitality in Murree, a hill station close to Islamabad.

Gupta told ANI he had no idea why some reports were suggesting that the delegation was holidaying in Murree.

"It is inaccurate that there was no signal in Murree. I got a call from India, who informed me about the attacks and told me to switch on the television," Gupta told ANI.

Gupta said they contacted the senior leadership in India as soon as they came to know about the attacks in Mumbai.

"As soon as we saw the terror strike, we spoke to all concerned persons who were supposed to be spoken to. Nobody knew that 26/11 would happen," he added.

The former home secretary added that the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai clearly depicted Pakistan's duplicity, adding it was not for the first time that such incidents had happened.

Though it was known that the attack was launched just as India-Pakistan home-secretary level talks ended, there seems to be no convincing explanation about why the senior home secretary chose to remain in Pakistan. Pakistan had persuaded the Indian officials to extend their stay by a day at the picturesque hill retreat of Murree, reported the Times of India.

According to TOI, the apparent reason offered by Pakistan was that the delegation should meet the interior minister, who was then travelling.

"It does raise questions why the Pakistanis insisted on the Indian delegation staying back an extra day after the home secretary-level talks had already concluded. Gupta was told on 26 November that he could call on the interior minister only on 27 November, 2008, as the latter was travelling," said a former official who was in the home ministry at the time.

First published: 11 June 2016, 3:05 IST