New Delhi, August 26
A day after Interpol issued a red corner notice against Hafiz Saeed, India has asked Pakistan to immediately act against the Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief, key plotter of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
“Interpol has issued a red corner notice for Saeed’s involvement… it is a vindication of the stand the government has taken,” External Affairs Minister SM Krishna told reporters here today.
Reiterating that a meaningful dialogue with Pakistan was not possible until it brought to justice perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks, the minister said now it was time for Islamabad to act on the basis of the evidence “painstakingly” collected by India and shared with it.
Asked about the importance of Interpol’s red corner notice, Krishna said, “I think the world should take note of these developments and then come to their own conclusions.” The red corner notice will allow the warrant against Saeed to be circulated worldwide with the request that the wanted person be arrested.
Reflecting New Delhi’s increasing frustration due to Islamabad negative attitude, he said India could do this much and nothing more. “We have done whatever we could and will continue to impress on Pakistan to curb terror,” he added.
He described as “unfortunate” the statements from Pakistan that it had still not got enough evidence from India on the involvement of Saeed in the Mumbai mayhem.
Krishna’s statement coincided with Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik saying if India does not provide tangible information on the 26/11 attacks and the Samjhauta Express blasts, Islamabad would not be responsible for any future terror attacks in India.
India is also believed to have sent proof and request for issuing a red corner notice against Lashkar-e-Toiba commander Zarar Shah and Abu Al Qama. Interpol says it is analysing the evidence against them.
Indian officials, meanwhile, said, there was no possibility of any meaningful dialogue with Pakistan until it demonstrated its sincerity in acting against Mumbai attackers. Even a meeting between Krishna and Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmud Qureshi on the margins of the UN General Assembly next month would be an exercise in futility.
Islamabad’s failure to act on the evidence provided by India was also understood to have figured last evening at the conference of 112 Indian heads of missions (HUM) under way here.
Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Sharat Sabharwal is believed to have briefed his colleagues on the developments that have taken place so far for bringing to justice the key plotters of the Mumbai attacks. Sabharwal had also met Home Minister P Chidambaram in connection with the shMumbai investigations.
