India gives Mumbai attacks proof to Pak, to share with world

New Delhi, Jan 5 (PTI) Stepping up its diplomatic
offensive, India Monday handed over to Pakistan evidence
linking that country to the Mumbai attacks and prepared to
share the proof with the world community with an expectation
that Islamabad would cooperate in punishing the culprits.

Describing the Mumbai attacks as an "unpardonable crime",
India asked Pakistan to promptly follow up on the evidence by
holding further probe there and share the results with New
Delhi so that the guilty are brought to justice.

India's External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said he
had also written to his counterparts around the globe, giving
details of the Mumbai attacks, and hoped that the "world will
unite" in ensuring an end to cross-border terrorism faced by
India.

"We have today handed over to Pakistan evidence of the
links with elements in Pakistan of the terrorists who attacked
Mumbai on November 26, 2008," Mukherjee told reporters here.

His statement came soon after Foreign Secretary
Shivshankar Menon summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Shahid
Malik to hand over the dossier, which includes confession of
Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone Pakistani terrorist held during the
Mumbai attacks, and other material.

"What happened in Mumbai was an unpardonable crime,"
Mukherjee said and asked Pakistan to implement the bilateral
commitments it has made at the highest levels to India and
"practice its international obligations".

The External Affairs Ministry said "this material is linked
to elements in Pakistan" and "it is our expectation that the
government of Pakistan will promptly undertake further
investigations in Pakistan and share the results with us so as
to bring the perpetrators to justice."

The evidence includes confession of Ajmal Amir Kasab, the
lone Pakistani terrorist held during Mumbai terror strikes,
records of GPS and satellite phones used by the attackers and
transcript of conversations between the attackers and their
handlers in Pakistan during the three-day gunbattles.

It also includes details about weapons and other articles
recovered from the 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists who came from
Karachi and attacked Mumbai on November 26 last year.

"We are also briefing all our friendly countries," the
External Affairs Minister said.

"I have written to my counterparts around the world giving
them details of the events in Mumbai and describing in some
detail the progress that we have made in our investigations
and the evidence that we have collected," Mukherjee said.

Home Minister P Chidambaram will travel to the US,
expectedly tomorrow, to share evidence on Mumbai attacks as
part of efforts to build pressure on Pakistan.

The External Affairs Ministry will also be briefing all
heads of missions based here by tomorrow. Indian ambassadors
and high commissioners will be doing the same in their host
countries, he said.

"It is my hope that the world will unite to achieve the
goal of eliminating the threat of such terrorism," Mukherjee
said.

India hoped that Pakistan will implement its "bilateral,
multilateral and international obligations to prevent
terrorism in any manner from territory under its control". PTI
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