New Delhi/London, August 10
With a top Pakistani diplomat admitting that India’s most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim was in his country but had been chased out, the government on Saturday said it was determined to bring to book those behind the 1993 Mumbai blasts.

“The 1993 Mumbai blast dossier has never been closed by us. We will continue quest to bring to justice those involved, wherever they are,’’ MEA spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said a day after Shaharyar Khan, Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif’s Special Envoy and former foreign secretary stated that Dawood was in Pakistan, but had been chased out.

Khan, who is also Pakistan’s pointman for Track II diplomacy with India’s SK Lambah, was speaking at a book launch function in London. This is the first time that a senior Pakistani official, who had also been his country’s top diplomat, acknowledged the presence of Dawood on Pakistani soil.

India has for long accused Islamabad of sheltering Dawood and also provided evidence about his whereabouts but Pakistan has vehemently denied his presence in the country. Dawood is wanted in India for coordinating the Mumbai bombings in which over 250 persons were killed and hundreds were injured.

Khan today did a U-turn on his remarks, saying he had no idea where Dawood was. “I have never, never, (spoken on Dawood’s whereabouts) when I was in the Foreign Ministry or now... I do not know where Dawood Ibhrahim lives. I am only reflecting what the Press has been saying… the Pakistani Press have been saying about the gentleman,” he said.

The Nawaz Sharif confidant said the Interior Ministry of Pakistan could throw more light on the issue. “I have no idea whether he is in Pakistan, if he ever has been (there).”

The BJP, meanwhile, demanded that the government suspend all talks with Pakistan until it handed over Dawood and LeT chief Hafiz Saeed.

(With PTI inputs)