Union home minister P. Chidambaram said on Saturday is Islamabad that he had asked his Pakistani counterpart, Mr Rehman Malik, to put more people — ostensibly Lashkar-e-Tayyaba founder Hafiz Mohammad Saeed and his men — on trial for the 26/11 carnage in Mumbai.
“I am confident that something good will emerge out of that meeting. I want more people on trial,” he told reporters without naming whom India wants to include in the list. Pakistan is trying seven of its nationals for their alleged roles in the 26/11 attacks. India says Hafiz Saeed masterminded the terrorist strike and has been seeking custody of Saeed. Pakistan has so far refused.
[Pakistan on Saturday indicated its willingness to provide voice samples of the handlers of the 26/11 terrorists and offer any other cooperation to India, which pressed for “visible” outcomes of action against all those involved in the Mumbai carnage, PTI reports from Islamabad.
[At a joint press interaction with Mr Chidambaram, Mr Malik said the agencies of the two countries should work together to prevent any repeat of the Mumbai attacks and suggested that its FIA and the CBI work together. “We will like our FIA and CBI to interact with each other in matters of terrorism, including the Mumbai attacks,” Mr Malik said. “I will leave tomorrow with the conviction that we have both exchanged views, we both understand the requirements of the situation,” said Mr Chidam-baram. “We both agreed we shall address the situation with the seriousness it deserves. So I go back with confidence that the outcome of our meeting and interaction will be very good for both,” he said.]
A senior Pakistan official told this newspaper that “they (India) want him (Saeed) tried at least, but have not given up the demand that he be handed over. ... There are some of his aides whom India wants put before the law.”
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Indian flag upside down
Age Correspondent
Islamabad
June 26: While Pakistan interior minister Rehman Malik and Indian home minister P. Chidambaram were exchanging pleasantries Friday night, Mr Chidambaram saw the Indian flag upside down on the table.
“I detected it and he (Mr Malik) corrected the mistake. I told Rehman Malik about it and he was extremely regretful,” Mr Chidambaram said Saturday. “I think it’s a minor mistake, I don’t think we should make much of it. The flag was put right.”