New Delhi, March 18
India today refrained from making an elaborate statement on yesterday’s
grenade attack on an Islamabad church, though a section of Pakistan-watchers here believe that the incident would bring the USA closer to Gen Pervez Musharraf instead of creating difficulties for him. India chose to keep its official reaction to the incident terse and to the point: “The Government of India strongly condemns the terrorist attack on the Protestant church in Islamabad. India regrets the loss of innocent lives.”
An American diplomat’s wife and his daughter were among five persons killed in the attack in which, significantly, the attackers fled after locking the church from outside.
Analysts here feel that initially the incident would bring both Pakistan President Musharraf and US President George W Bush under pressure for different reasons: General Musharraf because of the obvious pressure from Washington and President Bush because of the likely domestic criticism that he has been betting a wrong horse in Pakistan and he should cultivate someone else.
In the immediate future, however, yesterday’s incident would bring the USA closer to General Musharraf as he happens to be Washington’s best bet as of now.
