The heads of Indian missions abroad have been asked to come to New Delhi next week to get a briefing on the government’s strategy for tackling terror in view of the last month’s terror strike in Mumbai.
According to sources, some 156 heads of the missions are coming to attend a two-day briefing beginning December 22. The diplomats would be briefed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
Sources in the MEA said the briefing would be held in-camera.
The diplomatic community has been summoned to Delhi as the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government is preparing to launch a major diplomatic offensive to expose Pakistan’s hand in terrorist-related incidents across India and also to counter the adverse fallout of Mumbai attack on tourism and foreign investments in the country.
After the Mumbai attack, several countries had issued advisories to their citizens against traveling to India. Keen to do the damage control on this front, the government will ask the diplomats to work towards briefing the authorities in their respective countries about the anti-terrorism steps taken by New Delhi.
“It is for the first time that Pakistan is under tremendous pressure from the international community to act against terrorist nurseries on its soil,” a senior government functionary said. “It is now for us (New Delhi) to maintain the pressure and to keep reminding the rest of the world of its commitment to check Pakistan’s rouge elements,” an official said.