Dissatisfied with the Pakistan Government’s (in)ability to dismantle the terror infrastructure, New Delhi, in a veiled reference to the country’s military establishment, has questioned as to who runs the show in Islamabad.

Without naming Pakistan, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday raised questions on the democracy across the border. “India believes it is the sovereign right of any people to decide on the kind of government they would like, whether democratic or military. Genuine democracy does not come about simply by holding an election but rather through a process of democratisation that makes the elected representatives accountable and, more importantly, in ensuring that there does not exist a separate and de facto centre of power that is actually pulling the puppet strings.”

“The pretence of democracy is not equivalent to democratisation. We do not believe it is for us to advocate how other countries should be governed but we would, most certainly, like to know whom we should deal with vis-à-vis another government; in other words, who runs the show?” Mukherjee questioned.

Pranab’s remark, sharpest since the Mumbai attacks, comes a day after he had said that the entire range of options was open with the failure of Pakistan to deliver on its promise of not supporting terror activities.

The Minister was chairing a conference on “Development, Freedom and Welfare” held in honour of Nobel Laureate Prof Amartya Sen.

It may be recalled that the Pakistan Government had assured India of sending the ISI chief Lt Gen Shuja Pasha — when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had spoken to Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and PM Yousaf Raza Gilani shortly after the Mumbai attacks — but retracted soon after. Zardari had later also said that a director-level official and the director-general will be sent to India.

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