India is keeping a close but wary eye on the crisis besetting Pakistan, keen to avoid accusations of meddling, officials and analysts say. New Delhi has reacted cautiously to the developments in its western neighbour and nuclear-armed rival, offering condolences for loss of life in suicide bombings and expressing mere "regret" at Musharraf's imposition of emergency measures.
The carefully worded responses are in sharp contrast to strong comments from other world capitals condemning the attacks and urgently calling for democracy to be restored in Pakistan.
New Delhi's comments have been "deliberately cautious" because it wants to stay out of Pakistan's domestic problems, an Indian foreign ministry official said. "We don't want to get involved in the internal situation (in Pakistan)... Any wrong word from us will shift the focus," the ministry official, who asked not to be named, told AFP.
Wilson John, analyst at the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation, described the comments from India as "tepid" and not in keeping with its global power ambitions. But India's former ambassador to Pakistan G. Parthsarthy said New Delhi did not want to "be perceived as fishing in troubled waters." "Certainly India can make stronger statements. But the consequence will be accusations that India is meddling in Pakistan and siding with one or other of the players."
India's wariness stems from longstanding mistrust and animosity between the South Asian rivals, who have fought three wars since their emergence as independent nations in 1947. New Delhi, which accuses Islamabad of supporting an insurgency against India's rule in occupied Kashmir, is also wary as it has been holding peace talks with Pakistan since 2004 that have yielded dividends.
"I would say the India-Pakistan relationship at the moment is the best in about two decades," said Parthsarthy, pointing to a border ceasefire between the two neighbours that has been in place since November 2003.
Measures to reduce risks of an accidental nuclear war are also in place and "Pakistan-encouraged violence" in Kashmir has fallen, he said. "People-to-people contact is substantial," improving the atmosphere between the estranged nations, the ex-envoy said, adding these developments had taken place on Musharraf's watch.
However, "there is no evidence to suggest Pakistan has discarded use of terrorism as an instrument state policy either in India or Afghanistan," Parthasarthy said.
Pakistan denies it backs terrorist acts. One possible dividend from the troubles in Pakistan is that with 150,000 of its troops engaged in fighting its own insurgency, the "potential for indulging in any adventurism" against India is low, Parthasarthy said. But he said India would not take its eye off the ball. "One can never be complacent with Pakistan," Parthsarthy said.
Uday Bhaskar, former head of the New Delhi-based Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis, said Indians should avoid feeling the problems afflicting Pakistan "serve Musharraf right."
Analyst Wilson John added New Delhi cannot afford to see Taliban-style militants "with expansionist ambitions establish an enclave in its neighbourhood." "Given the situation, political and otherwise, I would say India is waiting and watching to see how the situation develops," John said.
Despite the uncertainties, analysts said New Delhi was clear about who to engage in Pakistan. "There's no confusion. New Delhi is clear it has to deal with whoever is in power and the military," Bhaskar said.