Ahead of Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari's visit to India on Sunday, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna on Friday said though New Delhi gave details to Islamabad of the involvement of Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Hafiz Muhammad Saeed in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, the neighbouring country chose not to act.
Home Minister P. Chidambaram provided to Pakistan a dossier containing details of Saeed's involvement in the planning and execution of the 2008 attacks, Mr. Krishna told reporters here.
The U.S. has announced a $10-million bounty on Saeed's head and India has welcomed it.
Asked about Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's statement that the Saeed matter was an “internal issue” and if there was any concrete proof against him, then it should be provided to his country, Mr. Krishna said: “So no amount of denial would exonerate them unless there is a judicial inquiry into the whole episode whereby responsibilities can be fixed. But unfortunately, Pakistan had not thought it proper to investigate this.”
Asked whether the Saeed issue would figure during a lunch to be hosted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in honour of Mr. Zardari, Mr. Krishna said major bilateral issues would be discussed during the talks. “This is a private visit by President Zardari to India and he is coming on a religious mission to Ajmer and I do not know whether they will have enough time to go into greater details,” he noted.
Ties between the two countries had been looking up in the last couple of years although a number of issues were yet to be resolved, he said.
On Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar's visit to India last year, he said she had stated that there was a “change in mindset” in Pakistan towards India.
On China's objection to India exploration for oil in the disputed areas in the South China Sea, Mr. Krishna said, “South China Sea is the property of the world. The Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) and China had accepted it.”
U.K. decision
Mr. Krishna said he would seek details of the British government's decision to discontinue a provision that allowed Indian students to work in the U.K. for two years after completion of their courses as part of drive to cut immigration. “I have asked the High Commissioner to brief me on the issue,” he said.
Under the Tier 1 (post-study work) route, Indian and other non-EU students were able to work for two years in the U.K. after completing their university courses. This route was closed from Friday.
This was popular among self-financing Indian students who sought to recover some of the study expenses by working for two years.
Keywords: India, Pakistan, Hafiz Saeed, U.S. bounty, bilateral ties, S.M. Krishna, Indo-Pak ties
We Indians as a sovereign state has the power to bring to justice the people behind the henious terror attack that killed innocent civilians. The will power of the Government is missing.
India's bellyaching on 26/11 is akin to the pot calling the kettle black! Why should Pakistan take any action when we ourselves have been treating captured and convicted terrorists like VIPs? Why have killers like Mohd Afzal and Ajmal Kasab - and before them Omar Sheikh, Azhar Masood, et al - not been executed? Pakistan knows that India will never take any action because of vote bank considerations. Unfortunately, our naive and gullible citizens do not realise the double shuffle played out by our netas.
India need not be so timid. India can afford to add a an additional 5 million dollars to
bring him to justice in India or kidnap this so called Islamic scholar . Israel would
have carried it out. Since a rabbi was also killed in Mumbai, India should seek Israel
help secretly.They can achieve this in no time!.
Sitting prettily on the issue of OSAMA BIN LADEN for years together by feigning ignorance about the fugitive's unabated deadly massacres carried out from the heart of Islamabad in spite of demands by the super power,one can be sure that nothing tangible would emerge from Pakistan on any issue that India has asked for.However,very little or nothing is being done by the govt of India in projecting Pakistan's evil designs on the matters concerning India' security.Simply handing over dossiers wouldn't suffice in the absence of awakening the friendly countries at every opportune time on these critical issues.In fact Mr.Krishna is found not up to the mark in this aspects.
as long as the ISI controlled pakistani army has the grip of decision making even with pakistani judiciary the present pakistani pseudo democratic REGIME won't progress or take pakistan to a better state&status remaining in the present quagmire of almost failed if not failing state it is today.
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