OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
New Delhi, June 2: As Hafiz Mohammad Saeed walked free from a Lahore court, India said the Lashkar founder’s release raised doubts about Pakistan’s “sincerity” in probing the conspiracy behind the Mumbai carnage.
Hours later, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and foreign minister S.M. Krishna went into a huddle along with national security adviser M.K. Narayanan and foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon.
Sources said Delhi could appeal to the international community, particularly America, to mount pressure on Pakistan to ensure that it acted in a concrete manner against those involved in the 26/11 mayhem.
“India will take all possible steps in order to drive home its point,” Krishna told reporters, asked whether Delhi would make efforts to build international pressure on Pakistan.
US undersecretary of state William Burns is scheduled to visit India next week.
Earlier, soon after the Lahore High Court order, home minister P. Chidambaram said it was a “commentary on the commitment of Pakistan to investigate the perpetrators” of the Mumbai attack.
“We are unhappy that Pakistan does not show the degree of seriousness and commitment that it should to bring to justice perpetrators of the Mumbai attack,” he said but added the Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief’s release wouldn’t be a setback to India’s 26/11 investigations.
The foreign ministry said it was “disappointed”.
“He is the head of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa and the Lashkar-e-Toiba, organisations listed by the United Nations under UNSC Resolution 1267, as being affiliates of al Qaida and the Taliban. Hafiz Saeed is specifically listed as linked to these terrorist groups. It is regrettable that notwithstanding this background and the international obligations it entails on Pakistan, he has been released,” the ministry said.
The ministry said Saeed, the Lashkar and the Dawa had a “long and well established background of planning and launching terrorist acts against India”. His “professed ideology and public statements leave no doubt as to his terrorist inclinations”, the statement added.
“His release raises serious doubts over Pakistan’s sincerity in acting with determination against terrorist groups and individuals operating from its territory. These actions by Pakistan raise questions about sincerity of Pakistan’s investigations into the conspiracy that planned, launched and executed the terrorist attack on Mumbai….”
Security experts said Saeed’s release might embolden the Lashkar to carry out a terror strike on India.
“The release underlines that Pakistan is not fully on the same page with India as far as dismantling terror infrastructure is concerned,” former Intelligence Bureau director Arun Bhagat said.
I have always maintained that Pakistan can never be trusted.
It is at a perpetual undeclared war with India.
Pakistan is mired in all sorts of contradictions and conflicts and cannot tolerate the progress India makes.
You can straighten a dog's tail but you cannot straighten Pakistan and those who think otherwise are living in a fool's paradise.
Our leaders are still giving a thought to the Iran - Pakistan - India gas pipe line.
The earlier they forget the whole thing, the better it will be for India.
During crisis Pakistan will shut of the gas without any provocation and our forces will be left high & dry.
The bus service to Lucknow should be stopped immediately.
The routes used by infiltrators should be mined so that infiltration and shoot at sight orders should be issued.
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