The decision to recall Indian High Commissioner Vijay K Nambiar from Pakistan was part of government's policy spelt out by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Parliament after the attack on it, Home Minister L K Advani said on Saturday. "The government's policy as spelt out by the Prime Minister during discussion in Parliament is to be implemented step by step," he said.
"Yesterday's decision was the first step in that direction after the (Parliament) session ended," Advani told reporters.
He said Pakistan High Commissioner Ashraf Jehangir Qazi had earlier been called to the External Affairs Ministry and issued a demarche asking Islamabad to take action against Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Taiba and other terrorist outfits in the wake of the December 13 attack on Parliament.
"But when it was not implemented, another step was taken yesterday," he said.
Advani said he had information that the US and UK have issued some demarche to Pakistan and added that US President George W Bush had publicly stated that Washington wanted action against terrorist groups.
The Home Minister said on Friday that the decision to recall India's envoy from Pakistan and snapping of bus and rail links was indicative of the gravity New Delhi attached to the December 13 attack. Bureau Report