Rice, Jiechi call up Mukherjee

New Delhi, Dec 26 (PTI) Amid a chill in Indo-Pak ties,
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Chinese Foreign
Minister Yang Jiechi called up External Affairs Minister
Pranab Mukherjee and discussed the situation arising out of
Mumbai terror attacks.

During the telephonic talk Thursday night, Mukherjee is
understood to have conveyed to his counterparts that Pakistan
was not doing enough against those behind the Mumbai carnage.

He is believed to have told Rice and the Chinese Foreign
Minister to put pressure on Pakistan to ensure that those
responsible for the Mumbai attacks are brought to justice.

Rice is understood to have conveyed to Mukherjee that the
US is keen to see that the perpetrators of Mumbai attacks are
punished and is persuading Pakistan to act in concrete terms
in this regard.

Though most countries, including the US and the UK, are
convinced that Lashkar-e-Taiba was responsible for the
attacks, Pakistan has been in a denial mode.

New Delhi believes that the US has the leverage with
Pakistan that it can use to make that country act against
those involved in the terror strikes.

India also feels that China, being a very close friend
of Pakistan, also can influence that country to act. PTI AKK
DEP