Khurshid holds Pak accountable for 99% of Mumbai attack evidence

Foreign affairs minister Salman Khurshid held Pakistan accountable for the evidence in Mumbai terror attack. He said it was incumbent on Pakistan to present the evidence in Mumbai terror strikes as the planning, training and financing for the Mumbai terror strikes were done in that country and, therefore, “99 per cent” of evidence will be available there.

Pakistan’s foreign office had issued an statement that it requires more evidence in Mumbai attacks case from India. Responding to the statement, the minister said, “The entire planning of the dastardly Mumbai terrorist attack was hatched in Pakistan, the training of the terrorists who launched that attack was undertaken in Pakistan, the financing of the conspiracy was in Pakistan.

“It, therefore, follows that 99 percent of the evidence will be available in Pakistan. It is incumbent on the authorities there to present that evidence in order to bring to book the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks.”

The Spokesperson in MEA noted that India, on its part, has fully cooperated with the Judicial Commission which visited India in September end and all information that they wanted was handed over to the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi on 14-15 October.

“It now devolves on Pakistani authorities to ensure that justice is done in the Mumbai attack case in accordance with their own assurances,” the Spokesperson asserted.

This is the second time that MEA is issuing strong statements against Pakistan, the last being Khurshid’s bashing to the neighbouring country on repeated ceasefire violations in Jammu and Kashmir.

The minister was of the view that while the Pakistan Prime Minister Sharif was making the right noises, it was imperative for the civilian government of Pakistan to find a way to keep the army and the ISI under control. “We’ve been told that all the government agencies are on the same page,” Khurshid said, “but if they were, the things that are happening would not be happening.”

Khurshid had maintained that accountability on Pakistan’s part was important. “We need some accountability, or at least the beginning of accountability, only then we can start afresh,” he had said.