India bluntly asks Pakistan to act on evidences

Kolkata, Dec 21 (PTI) A day after hinting at the
Pakistan establishment's backing of the Mumbai terror strikes,
India Sunday hardened its stance asking Islamabad bluntly to
act on evidences and keep its commitments on not allowing its
territory to be used by terrorists.

"Not once, twice or thrice but as many as 10 times we
have given evidences. Pakistan must cooperate. No question of
mere denial. You will be caught in your denial then," he said.
Maintaining that Pakistan has to act, Mukherjee said
the country has to abide by its commitments given first by
former president Pervez Musharraf and then by incumbent Asif
Ali Zardari.

Pakistan also has to arrest the fugitives who have
taken shelter in that country. "Those who are Indian citizens,
hand them over to us, and those who are required for
investigations, may be your citizens, also hand over them to
us".

Mukherjee took strong exception to contradictory
statements from Pakistan about the presence of
Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Maulana Masood Azhar in that country
and without mentioning the name of the Pakistan envoy in Delhi
who had stated that Azhar was not under house arrest.

"Masood Azhar was under house arrest was the
observation of the Pakistan Defence minister (Chowdhury
Mukthar Ahmed)," Mukherjee said. But after that contradictory
statements are emanating from the country.

"Sometimes it is said he (Azhar) is not seen.
Sometimes it is said that he is not available in Pakistan,"
Mukherjee told a seminar organised by the Bengal Chamber of
Commerce here.

Mukherjee wondered if Azhar was not available in
Pakistan, then how could it be said by Pakistan's permanent
representative in UN Security Council that action would
be taken against him.

He said all the arguments that are emanating from
Pakistan were not 'really convincing'. The first reaction from
Islamabad was that non-state actors were involved in the
attacks.

"Since we cannot chase the so-called non-state actors
in that country, it is the responsibility of the incumbent
government to deal with them."

He said India has the evidence, including interception
of the conversation between the captured Mumbai terror
perpetrator Amir Ajmal Kasab and his controller in Pakistan
via satellite.

"It was a chilling account," he said and asked
Pakistan to pursue these evidences and take action.

In another seminar held by a city-based trade body,
Mukherjee said there was a sinister design to link Islam with
terrorism.

"There are some scholars who had coined the term
Islamic terrorism. Islam is a religion of love and compassion.
There is a sinister ploy to link terrorism with Islam.

"There may be some socio-economic indicators which may
lead to some frustration among some Muslim youths who had gone
astray. These are exceptions," he said.

Describing terrorists as the 'biggest violators of
human rights having no religion or boundary' Mukherjee said
India was not a 'soft state' and was determined to fight the
menace of terrorism. PTI