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In a plain message, Germany on Saturday said it was in the best "interest" of Pakistan to "become clean" of any allegations and clarify the "clear distinction between state institutions and any terrorist acts", amid recent indications of its involvement in such activities.
New German Ambassador to India Michael Steiner said, "It is in the best interest of Pakistan, whether it is true or not, to become clean of any rumours and allegations and to really clarify that there is a clear distinction between state institutions and any terrorist acts."
He was responding to a question on recent revelations made by arrested Lashkar-e-Tayiba operative Abu Jundal, who handled the terrorists during the 26/11 terror strikes.
Jundal had disclosed that he, along with LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, was in the control room in Pakistan during the 26/11 Mumbai carnage in 2008, in which 166 people were killed.
"There are some indications, not really proven in the judicial way, but it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter how far they are true or not. I think it is in the interest of Pakistan to make it clear that the policies are policies which have no links, whatsoever, with these forces which are directed against us all and are also directed against legal institutions of Pakistan itself. That is the real danger for Pakistan," he added.
Significantly, before taking up his posting in Delhi, Steiner was Germany's Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Steiner, who also organised the Bonn conference on Afghanistan last year, talked about the international community's commitment to the war-torn country after the withdrawal of NATO forces by 2014.