New Delhi, February 19
India will raise with Pakistan the issue of investigations into the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks when foreign secretaries of the two countries meet in the capital a week later.

Home Minister P. Chidambaram today made it categorical that he would want the “pending issues” pertaining to the terror attack case and investigation to be raised at the talks between New Delhi and Islamabad on February 25.

“We are still identifying the specific issues to be raised; among them will be the pending issues on 26/11 attack case and probe,” Chidambaram told women journalists at the Indian Women Press Corps today.

The home minister’s obvious reference was to the Indian demand for voice samples of Mumbai terror attack accused being held in custody in Pakistan. He had earlier said the 10 Mumbai attackers could have been guided by an Indian handler. “We know him as Abu Jindal but to put a finger at him, we need his voice sample. And they (Pakistan) won't give us one,” the home minister had said.

But today he made part of India’s agenda for the secretary level talks clear by saying “pending issues” of Mumbai terror probe would be taken up with the neighbouring country.

Chidambaram further cleared the air on whether everyone in the government was on the same page as far as the resumption of talks with Pakistan goes.

“These talks are about talks, and there is no I and you here. The government has decided that foreign secretaries of the two nations should meet and I am part of the government,” he said, adding that only after the talks would one know whether the pace of investigations into 26/11 attacks would be speeded up.

The home minister, however, resisted referring to Mumbai attacks as a “war”, when asked if he thought it was a war against India. “Using colourful terms doesn’t serve any purpose. It was an attack on our commercial capital, on the idea of India,” Chidambaram said, adding that India would take the legal recourse in seeking access to David Headly, the LeT operative in US custody.