ISLAMABAD, Dec 15: Former army chief General (Rtd) Mirza Aslam Beg has termed the Indian allegation that Lashkar i-Taiba was involved in attack on the parliament as false.

In an interview here on Saturday, the former army chief said it was an act of India itself and there was a conspiracy behind the attack.

He said it was an Indian attempt since the United States started its military operation in Afghanistan to emphasize its allegation of cross border terrorism against Pakistan in a bid to win American support for any military action against Islamabad.

He said the terrorist attack on the Indian parliament was a handiwork of the Indian agencies as no group or organization had owned this act so far, he added.

He said there had been many incidents in the past too where India conducted massacres to malign the freedom movement in occupied Kashmir. Mr Beg said after levelling this allegation against Lashkar-i-Taiba, New Delhi would hope that the United States would join its campaign. This had been the Indian endeavour since long to win US support on the matter, he added.

On the Afghan issue, Mr Beg said the interim government formed in Afghanistan was unstable. It would not be able to establish peace in the country, he added.

He said as soon as the Americans withdrew from Afghanistan, a state of chaos would emerge there leading to a civil war. It had happened in the past too.

He said if the attack on the Indian parliament led to a military action against Lashkar-i-Taiba, whose offices were in Pakistan, it would be tantamount to pronouncing a war. The position of Pakistan was not that of Taliban, he said. “Taliban had no defence against the US bombardment. Here is the matter of equality. If India carries out an air land attack, it will get a reply”, he maintained. He said Pakistan had taken action against all the parties, believed to be involved in extremism. He said restrictions had been imposed, their offices had been closed and the means of their resources had been blocked, Mr Beg said.

“How the Indians did come to known in less than 24 hours that Lashkar-i-Taiba was involved in the attack”, he said. — PPI