Every Pakistani whether living abroad or in Pakistan was deeply touched by the tragedy of Mumbai attacks. Attacks like the one in Mumbai occur on a routine basis ever since Pakistan joined the Global War on Terror, however, the attacks in Mumbai were of greater concern to Pakistanis then the attacks of Marriot, carnage at PPP election rallies, the attacks of US drones in FATA and the attacks by suicide bombers on regular intervals in different cities . Reason being that the last time when the such an attack of such proportions was carried out in India, back in 2002, India threatened Pakistan with a full scale military invasion and amassed its troops along the Pakistani border. As of current standing, Pakistan and Pakistanis really cannot afford to have another war right in the middle of an ongoing war of which there seems to be no end.
Just like most Pakistanis, I was very much concerned by what was going to happen next. I was very much aware that India had enough of it and if this was really the handiwork of a Pakistan based group, India would certainly like to do some thing about it. I was also worried that may be its another ISI sponsored fiasco to settle the score for whats going on in FATA and Balochistan (whether thats true of wrong is certainly questionable) . And of course their were conspiracy theories as well (Mossad, Col Purhoit et al blah blah.)
Soon after the blasts, Indian gov and all the Indian media outlets declared that India had enough evidence to prove that the attackers came from Pakistan. The statements from the Indian side, both gov and media, did not clarify what they meant by "Pakistan". Did the evidence indicate that the attacks were sanctioned by the government of Pakistan, the attackers trained by Pakistani army OR did the Indian gov and media meant that the attackers, though, were not sent by the gov of Pakistan, but were Pakistani citizens, trained and equipped by rogue Jihadi groups in Pakistan?
From the history of Indo-Pak relations, I and every Pakistani know that there is quite a good chance that the attackers are Pakistanis. Even if they are Indian Muslims, upset with the treatment meted out to them at the hands of the Indian gov, there must be some sort of Pakistani involvement in arming and training them. By Pakistani I do not necessarily mean Pakistani gov but Pakistan based jihadi outfits.
Now as usual, the Indian gov and the Indian media started pointing fingers towards Pakistan. What was meant by Pakistan was left undefined. Many Pakistanis took it as an accusation towards the state of Pakistan and each and every Pakistani. Both sides quickly descended into a war of words. The war of words was fought both on the gov level, in cyber space and as well as in a personal capacity. I too quickly got involved in fiery debates with some of my Indian friends and got carried away with my nationalistic sentiments.
With the war cry becoming louder from both sides, I started posting stories of how the Indian gov has still not provided any evidence even though one month has passed since the attacks took place. Whipping up the dead horse of Kashmir, right when the relations between India and Pakistan are at their lowest, also became part of the justification. Slowly after one month, the issue was no longer the attacks in Mumbai but how Pakistan had been supporting insurgency in Indian Kashmir and how India had been stubbornly sitting on top of the Kashmir issue.
Finally, one day I realized that keeping in mind the historical data, I should simply say a sorry to my Indian friends and apologize rather then trying to split hairs by bringing up discrepancies found in the various accounts of the Mumbai attacks as narrated by various media outlets. This is exactly what both the governments of Pakistan and India are right now involved in. The Indian gov, trying to do some face saving in front of a nation angry and humiliated at the hands of 20 or few gunmen while the Pakistani gov trying to put up a brave face in front of accusations and threats being hurled from the Indian side. No wonder, time and again, both India and Pakistan, gov and people, end up, back at square one as they were in 1947.
It is very much the responsibility of the Indian gov to provide the evidence it has claimed to have from day one, but mean while the Indian gov prepares the evidence, Pakistani gov should not sit idle and make its own efforts to investigate the attacks. Pakistani gov can rid itself of the stain and stigma of sponsoring terrorists only by making serious and honest efforts to investigate. Though the Pakistani gov is justified in asking for evidence, still it will be better if it doesn't wait for evidence. It should treat this matter with the same urgency as it would have treated a similar incident of terrorism in the UK or the US.
What about the people? Pakistanis and Indians? Well to all Pakistanis, I would say that keeping in mind our history, there is a good enough chance of this being the handiwork of our country men. Whether gov sponsored or independent non state actors. So there is no harm in apologising. If it turns out , much as I would wish, that the perparators were not Pakistanis, we would have lost nothing. However, if it turns out that the terrorists were indeed Pakistanis, we would have lost a lot by then.
To all my Indian friends, I apologize twice.
Once for what ever happened and hope it is not repeated ever again.
Secondly, I also apologize for taking this long to apologize. This apology should have come on the very first day.
Benjamin Gilmour: At his Sydney residency
