New Delhi: Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday told visiting US Defence Secretary Robert Gates that Islamabad cannot guarantee there won't be another 26/11 type attack.
But worryingly for India, Washington will continue to supply military aid to Pakistan. The US has pledged 12 Shadow Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or drones to Pakistan that will aid surveillance and reconnaissance. The drones are similar to those used by the US Marine Corps.
The Shadow drones are small and lightweight, can fly upto a height of 10,000 feet and have a range of 125 km. They can fly 72 hours without refuelling and its sophisticated camera takes pictures and sends them to base in real time.
"We are in partnership with the Pakistani military and we are working to make available to them their own intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance vehicles, both aircraft and drones," says Gates.
The US hopes the drones will give Pakistan the incentive to start military operations against the Taliban in North Waziristan.
But India is worried that without US supervision the drones will be used against India.
Official sources indicated that it has been conveyed to the US many times that India has difficulty with military assistance to Pakistan. The US has been sensitised to this view.
Adding to India's concerns are Gilani's bizarre admission that Pakistan is facing Mumbai-like attacks almost every other day and "when we cannot protect our own citizens, how can we guarantee that there wouldn't be any more terrorist hits in India".
Official sources in India responded that no country can absolve itself of the responsibility to stop its territory being used by terrorists against another country.
It's a message sent to Islamabad many times with little effect and now it remains to be seen if the Shadow drones pose a new level of threat to India.
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