Raghvendra Rao
Islamabad : Asking Pakistan to hunt down and prosecute more people behind the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram today said the two countries had agreed to “address the situation with the seriousness it deserves” and he was returning home “with the conviction that this will be done”.To try and reduce the “trust deficit”, both sides sought to present a united front against terror.
Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik promised a “logical end” to the 26/11 trial currently underway in his country. And Chidambaram said: “We are both agreed that the outcome will be good for both countries. Nobody is questioning the intentions. We are looking at the outcomes. Outcomes alone will decide if we are on the right track.”
Addressing the media with Malik at the conclusion of the SAARC Interior Ministers’ Conference, Chidambaram listed the “outcomes” as vigorous investigation and follow-up of 26/11 leads, bringing to book the masterminds and handlers of the attack, and ensuring that terrorists don’t have a free run.
Malik said the FIA of Pakistan and CBI of India would interact on terror and the 26/11 attacks.
Chidambaram did not say whom New Delhi wants to be prosecuted in Pakistan. But Indian authorities had earlier pointed to Lashkar-e-Toiba founder Hafiz Saeed.
“We know that seven people are being prosecuted in the case. How far the prosecution has progressed is for the Pakistan government to say.” Observing that the trial was adjourned for a week today, Chidambaram said: “We think more people were behind the attacks and more people should be prosecuted. That point has been made to the Pakistani government and as I said, I wish to remain positive on the outcome of the meeting with Rehman Malik.”
When a Pakistani journalist pointed out that there was a view within the Pakistani establishment that India was taking a “myopic view” of Indo-Pak relations by just concentrating on Hafiz Saeed, Chidambaram said: “Recognising that the process was interrupted was not myopic by any standards. That is a reality. Now, we are trying to pick the threads again. The Foreign Ministers are talking to each other, the Prime Ministers have met. When Home or Interior Ministers meet, obviously the focus will be terrorism.”
Minutes after Chidambaram’s remarks, Malik stated that “no act of terrorism will be allowed from Pakistan”.
In what appeared to be comments on Pakistani-American terror suspect David Coleman Headley and failed Times Square bomb plotter Faisal Shahzad, Malik said:”Even a father cannot control a son sometimes. If some Pakistani, or for that matter Indian or Bangladeshi, has gone to Europe or any other country at the age of three or four and if he becomes a terrorist, what is the fault of that country or that family?Unfortunately, it is the mindset. President Zardari has often said the mindset in the regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan need to change.”
Addressing the SAARC meeting, Malik said “terrorism knows no political boundaries” and “Pakistan is the worst victim of terrorism”. Listing the sacrifices made by Pakistan Army and other law enforcers, Malik said that but for them, India and Bangladesh would have been exposed to Taliban designs.
On the terror dossiers handed over by India, Malik said action will be taken against whoever is found guilty. “We are not here to create hurdles in investigations. India has extended the hand of friendship to Pakistan and we accept it. We have also extended our hand of friendship.”
Stating that Pakistan authorities respected decisions of Indian courts, Malik said India should also reciprocate by respecting judgments of the Pakistan judiciary.
He dismissed the charge that the trial of seven 26/11 accused, including Lashkar’s Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and Zarar Shah, was “too slow”.
Earlier, in his opening remarks, Chidambaram noted with “satisfaction” that Malik “devoted a considerable part of his opening remarks to the subject of terrorism, especially to the fallout of the 9/11 attack in New York and the 26/11 attack in Mumbai”.
He said only “fullest cooperation” among SAARC countries would place them in a position to “effectively tackle the grave threat of terrorism in our region”.
“It is incumbent upon us to ensure that the instruments and resources at our disposal are put to best possible use in our fight against terrorism. We need to examine whether existing conventions at our disposal have been effective and, if not, we need to understand why. We also need to cooperate with each other in sharing information on potential terrorists and planned acts of terrorism, and all other forms of criminal activity, in order to create a more secure environment,” he said.
Chidambaram said India was ready to host a meeting of the high-level group of experts to strengthen the SAARC Anti-Terrorism Mechanism. The meeting is slated to be held in New Delhi in January 2011.
Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik promised a “logical end” to the 26/11 trial currently underway in his country. And Chidambaram said: “We are both agreed that the outcome will be good for both countries. Nobody is questioning the intentions. We are looking at the outcomes. Outcomes alone will decide if we are on the right track.”
Addressing the media with Malik at the conclusion of the SAARC Interior Ministers’ Conference, Chidambaram listed the “outcomes” as vigorous investigation and follow-up of 26/11 leads, bringing to book the masterminds and handlers of the attack, and ensuring that terrorists don’t have a free run.
Malik said the FIA of Pakistan and CBI of India would interact on terror and the 26/11 attacks.
Chidambaram did not say whom New Delhi wants to be prosecuted in Pakistan. But Indian authorities had earlier pointed to Lashkar-e-Toiba founder Hafiz Saeed.
“We know that seven people are being prosecuted in the case. How far the prosecution has progressed is for the Pakistan government to say.” Observing that the trial was adjourned for a week today, Chidambaram said: “We think more people were behind the attacks and more people should be prosecuted. That point has been made to the Pakistani government and as I said, I wish to remain positive on the outcome of the meeting with Rehman Malik.”
When a Pakistani journalist pointed out that there was a view within the Pakistani establishment that India was taking a “myopic view” of Indo-Pak relations by just concentrating on Hafiz Saeed, Chidambaram said: “Recognising that the process was interrupted was not myopic by any standards. That is a reality. Now, we are trying to pick the threads again. The Foreign Ministers are talking to each other, the Prime Ministers have met. When Home or Interior Ministers meet, obviously the focus will be terrorism.”
Minutes after Chidambaram’s remarks, Malik stated that “no act of terrorism will be allowed from Pakistan”.
In what appeared to be comments on Pakistani-American terror suspect David Coleman Headley and failed Times Square bomb plotter Faisal Shahzad, Malik said:”Even a father cannot control a son sometimes. If some Pakistani, or for that matter Indian or Bangladeshi, has gone to Europe or any other country at the age of three or four and if he becomes a terrorist, what is the fault of that country or that family?Unfortunately, it is the mindset. President Zardari has often said the mindset in the regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan need to change.”
Addressing the SAARC meeting, Malik said “terrorism knows no political boundaries” and “Pakistan is the worst victim of terrorism”. Listing the sacrifices made by Pakistan Army and other law enforcers, Malik said that but for them, India and Bangladesh would have been exposed to Taliban designs.
On the terror dossiers handed over by India, Malik said action will be taken against whoever is found guilty. “We are not here to create hurdles in investigations. India has extended the hand of friendship to Pakistan and we accept it. We have also extended our hand of friendship.”
Stating that Pakistan authorities respected decisions of Indian courts, Malik said India should also reciprocate by respecting judgments of the Pakistan judiciary.
He dismissed the charge that the trial of seven 26/11 accused, including Lashkar’s Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and Zarar Shah, was “too slow”.
Earlier, in his opening remarks, Chidambaram noted with “satisfaction” that Malik “devoted a considerable part of his opening remarks to the subject of terrorism, especially to the fallout of the 9/11 attack in New York and the 26/11 attack in Mumbai”.
He said only “fullest cooperation” among SAARC countries would place them in a position to “effectively tackle the grave threat of terrorism in our region”.
“It is incumbent upon us to ensure that the instruments and resources at our disposal are put to best possible use in our fight against terrorism. We need to examine whether existing conventions at our disposal have been effective and, if not, we need to understand why. We also need to cooperate with each other in sharing information on potential terrorists and planned acts of terrorism, and all other forms of criminal activity, in order to create a more secure environment,” he said.
Chidambaram said India was ready to host a meeting of the high-level group of experts to strengthen the SAARC Anti-Terrorism Mechanism. The meeting is slated to be held in New Delhi in January 2011.
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