Islamabad, June 26: Home Minister P Chidambaram Saturday said India wants more action from Pakistan against those involved in 2008 Mumbai attacks and expressed confidence of a “positive outcome” in the matter after his meeting with his counterpart Rehman Malik.
Briefing reporters about his meetings with Malik, Chidambaram said India believes that more people were behind the attacks and more people should be prosecuted.
“We know that seven people (are being) prosecuted in the case. How far the prosecution has proceeded, it is for the Pakistani government to tell,” he said, when asked about the status of Pakistan’s trial of the 26/11 attacks case.
He also noted that the trial of seven people, including LeT operations chief Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, was adjourned for a week today.
“We think that more people were behind the attacks and more people should be prosecuted. That point has been made to the Pakistani government and as I said, I wish to remain positive on the outcome of the meeting with Rehman Malik,” the Home Minister said.
Terming his over 2-hour-long meeting with Malik yesterday as good, he said they both identified what needs to be done other than what has already been done.
“I think the meeting that I had with Rehman Malik was a good meeting. We spoke with each other. We spoke directly to each other and I am confident that something good will emerge out of that meeting. So, let’s try to remain positive,” he said.
Chidambaram, the first Indian Home Minister to visit Pakistan in three decades, met Malik at the Interior Ministry here.

‘DEAL WITH SECURITY CONCERNS COLLECTIVELY’
Earlier speaking at the SAARC home minister’s conference in Pakistani capital, Chidambaram said dealing with the security concerns of South Asia collectively would lead to greater connectivity and accelerated progress of the region.
Chidambaram pointed out that other regional associations in East and South-East Asia have achieved better growth rates and connectivity than the South Asian region. “As minister of interior/home affairs, we have a responsibility in ensuring that regional cooperation in meeting the challenges posed by terrorism, arms smuggling, fake currency, drug and human trafficking would create an environment conducive to greater connectivity, accelerated progress and development in the region,” the minister said.
The conference is deliberating upon deregulating the visa regime in the SAARC region.
Chiefs of intelligence bureaus of India and Pakistan met on the sidelines of the conference to trash out details of some thorny issues.

INTELLIGENCE SHARING
Chidambaram also met Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
Qureshi said his meeting with Chidambaram was positive. He said that both sides have agreed to the meeting between the Intelligence Chiefs of the two countries and that it was a positive development.
“We have to, in my view, join hands to defeat the common enemy - terrorism,” Qureshi said.
Qureshi, however, reiterated that India’s decision to suspend the bilateral dialogue with Pakistan in the wake of the November 2008 Mumbai attack was wrong.
“The suspension of the dialogue was not correct. Tell me, who benefited? Not India, not Pakistan. The net beneficiary were the terrorist forces.”
The minister said that Pakistan today was itself a victim of terrorism. “It is in our interest to make tangible progress (in India-Pakistan relations), and we will make progress.”

PAK PROPOSES SAARC POLICE
Pakistan Saturday proposed a SAARC police force on the lines of Interpol to facilitate information exchanges in the region.
Addressing the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Home Ministers’ conference here, Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik said a SAARC police force was necessary to facilitate information exchange in the South Asian region, Dawn News reported.
He said SAARC member countries should also work towards eradication of terrorism from the region.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 26 Jun 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 26 Jun 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 27 Jun 2010 00:00:00 IST