The Pakistan government, evidently stung by domestic criticism that it was kowtowing to India, decided against sending its top spy to New Delhi late Friday and instead dispatched a lesser intelligence official.
The change in plans put in stark relief how domestic politics will constrict the latitude the longtime nuclear rivals have to respond coolly to the Mumbai terrorist attacks.
The political pot was being stirred in India as well.
In the wake of Indian accusation that the Mumbai assault was carried out by Pakistan-based Muslim extremists, a top Hindu nationalist showed up in front of television cameras in Mumbai to bash the government's handling of the affair.
Narendra Modi, " arguably India's most incendiary politician," in a New York Times account, said. "The country expected a lot from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, but his address to the nation was disappointing."
Indians are going to the polls Saturday in five state elections. National elections are expected to be held next spring.
Pakistani officials had initially said the government was sending its spy chief, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha, on an unprecedented mission to India "to share and obtain information from investigators there," according to the Times account.
But later Friday the decision was reversed, and a less senior intelligence official was being dispatched in his place, according to reports.
The Islamabad government was "already bending over backwards" to be cooperative and did not "want to create more opportunities for Pakistan-bashing." Pakistan's defense minister, Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, told reporters in Islamabad, "I will say in very categoric terms that Pakistan is not involved in these gory incidents."
[I discussed these warnings on the PBS television show WorldFocus.]
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