Pakistan will not hand over Hafiz Mohammad Saeed — founder of Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and chief of the banned Jamaatud Dawa — to India for his alleged role in the Mumbai carnage, official sources here said.
“This is not an option. India may demand it but we can’t do it. We will, however, take action if somebody is found involved in terrorism”, a senior official of the interior ministry told this newspaper ahead of the talks between the interior and home ministers of Pakistan and India.
Millions of Pakistanis and Indians will hope for another positive meeting between the top officials from the nuclear armed neighbouring countries when the ministers from the two countries — who have fought three major wars — meet today (Saturday) on the sidelines of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) interior minister’s conference.
Indian home minister P. Chidambaram arrived in Islamabad on Friday, the first ministerial visit to Islamabad since the 26/11 terror attack, during which he is expected to press for a speedy trial of the Pakistanis accused of planning the carnage.
Mr Chidambaram will represent India at a meeting of the home ministers of the eight-nation Saarc interior minister’s conference on Saturday before holding a bilateral meeting with his Pakistani counterpart.
He is also likely to meet President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani during his visit. Although terrorism figured prominently in the discussions between India’s foreign secretary Nirupama Rao and her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir on Thursday, Mr Chidambaram will take up the issue in greater detail with Mr Malik.
The home minister is expected to press for concrete action against Hafiz Saeed, suspected by India to be the mastermind of the Mumbai carnage.
Last week, India gave a dossier containing specific sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) under which Saeed is wanted in India. Pakistan cites legal difficulties in prosecuting Saeed.
The other main issue to be discussed is the trial of the seven Pakistanis involved in the Mumbai carnage and voice samples of handlers of the 26/11 attacks.