NEW DELHI: An Indian Cabinet minister said there is “overwhelming evidence” that “official agencies” of Pakistan were involved in the militant attacks on Mumbai that left nearly 200 people dead.

Home Minister P. Chidambaram also accused Pakistan in a TV interview of doing nothing to dismantle “the infrastructure of terrorism” on its soil amid ongoing tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors.

“Given the overwhelming evidence we have, I am entitled to presume that official agencies (of Pakistan) were involved (in the attacks),” he said, referring to Pakistan’s powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) spy agency and other bodies.

Chidambaram added that the threat faced by India from Pakistan-based militants remained virtually undiminished.

His comments came as security has emerged as a top issue in general elections to be held from April 16 to May 13.

Asked if Pakistan had dismantled the militant infrastructure on its turf, Chidambaram told India’s CNN-IBN network that “none” of the militant training camps had been destroyed “to the best of my knowledge.”

The Pakistanis were only destroying “training camps that mushroom in villages with ‘kutcha’ (temporary) structures” and “can be dismantled and erected elsewhere,” he said.

“They (Pakistan) are still attempting to infiltrate people across the border and across the Line of Control (which divides disputed Kashmir), he said.

“Therefore, we have put our (security) forces on a high alert between now and the elections.” Indian media have been reporting that senior politicians, including Congress party president Sonia Gandhi, could be on a hit list of Pakistan-based militant groups.

The Mumbai siege has derailed a five-year peace process between the South Asian rivals, which have fought three wars, two over the disputed region of Kashmir.

Meanwhile, news reports said yesterday Mumbai police are seeking death penalty for the lone gunman captured alive in terrorist attacks on the city in November last year. Jayant Patil, home minister of Maharashtra state, said police demanded death for Ajmal Amir Qasab, the PTI news agency reported. Qasab will face trial for murder and “waging war against India.”

Two Indian operatives of the group, Faheem Ansari and Sabahuddin Ahmed, will also be tried for allegedly giving logistical support to the attackers.