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Amid strong attack from various political parties over terror strike in Kashmir, the government on Thursday indicated Pakistani link to the attackers but refrained from saying that they belonged to that country.
Making identical statements in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said some items bearing markings of Pakistan have been recovered from the terrorists who were killed in the encounter after attack on a Central Reserve Police Force camp.
He made the statement after sharp criticism by members from various parties, who said the government has repeatedly failed in preventing terror incidents as well in dealing with Pakistan from where it originates.
"The killed terrorists are suspected to be of foreign origin," he said about the incident in which five CRPF jawans lost their lives while battling the attackers.
When pressed in the Rajya Sabha for clarifications, Shinde said he did not say that the terrorists were Pakistanis and only mentioned them as foreigners.
"From the bodies of terrorists killed, two diaries, one each containing numbers suspected to be of Pakistanis, tube of Betnovate, a skin ointment were recovered. Further investigations reveal that this tube was manufactured in Glaxo Smithkline Pak Ltd, at 35 Dockyard, Karachi. The name of the tube mentioned in Urdu and the numbers mentioned in the diaries appear to be of Pakistani origin," he said.
He insisted that the government was dealing with terror strongly. "Yahan koi chudiyan nahin pahna hai. Sabke haath me taakat hai (Nobody is wearing bangles in their hands. Everybody is strong)," he said, responding to members' criticism of being soft.
At the same time, he said, the government "knew there will be such attempts" after the execution of Mumbai terror attack convict Ajmal Kasab and Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
Image: Five CRPF jawans and two terrorists were killed in a attack in Srinagar on Wednesday | Photograph: Umar Ganie