New Delhi, Jan. 28: After the 26/11 terror attacks put the Indo-Pak peace process on hold, Union home minister P. Chidambaram is likely to visit Islamabad next month to attend the Saarc Home Ministers’ Conference.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and external affairs minister S.M. Krishna are expected to discuss the issue and, subject to their concurrence, the home minister will travel to Pakistan to attend the Saarc meeting, government sources said. The conference is scheduled to be held for three days from February 20 in Islamabad. Ahead of the proposed visit, India on Thursday said it would have to conclude that Pakistan is dragging its feet on bringing those accused in the Mumbai attacks case to justice if it does not put on trial people like Hafiz Saeed, founder of the terror group Lashkar-e-Tayyaba.
If Mr Chidambaram travels to Islamabad, it would be the first ministerial visit to Pakistan since May 2008 following then external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee’s visit to that country for talks as part of the composite dialogue process. India had put the composite dialogue on hold following the Mumbai attacks.
Mr Chidambaram, reacting to Pakistan’s claim that India had not provided any evidence against Saeed, said, “Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi is one of the masterminds. There are others. We know their names and Pakistan also knows their names. If they do not bring the others to trial, then I would have to conclude, reluctantly and regretfully, that they are dragging their feet.”
Government sources said Pakistan is trying to shield Saeed by putting the onus on Lakhvi for the Mumbai attacks. Pointing out that Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving terrorist of the 26/11 attacks, has named Saeed, the sources said Pakistan is only taking action in cases where there is independent corroborative evidence. “It is Saeed’s word against Kasab’s,” the sources said.
Age Correspondent