India asks Pak to take probe further

New Delhi/Chennai, Jan 8 (PTI) With Pakistan
acknowledging the nationality of Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone
terrorist held during the Mumbai attacks, India Thursday asked
it to take the probe further so that those behind the terror
strikes could be brought to justice.

Union External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee
slammed Pakistan for its flip-flop on Kasab's nationality and
hoped that Pakistan would not resort to denial mode again,
saying such an attitude does not help.

"At least one actor who has been captured has admitted
that he is a Pakistani citizen. Now you are saying that
Pakistan also has admitted it. I don't know whether tomorrow
there will be again a denial mode," Mukherjee told reporters
in Delhi.

"If it is admitted that he (Kasab) is a Pakistani,
they should carry on further investigation and take it to the
logical conclusion so that perpetrators could be brought to
justice," he said.

He was responding when asked to comment on Pakistan's
admission that Kasab hails from that country.

"You know, if they accept that Kasab is a Pakistani
citizen, it would be natural for them to carry on the further
investigation so that ultimately the perpetrators of the
terrorist attacks in Mumbai are brought to justice," Mukherjee
said.

Earlier, in Chennai, he said "He (Kasab) has told us
quite categorically where he comes from, where he received
military and arms training and where his handlers are located.
Unfortunately, despite this, we have seen a consistent
flip-flop in the reaction of the government in Islamabad."

Addressing the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Chennai,
Mukherjee rued that even after a month of the operation,
"there continues to be recalcitrance in bringing the
perpetrators to justice."

Asking Pakistan not to create war hysteria or divert
attention of the world from the real issue of ending
cross-border terrorism, he said, "We have given them the
information which we have collected... They should carry on
investigation."

On Islamabad's contention that New Delhi has provided
only "information" and not evidence, the External Affairs
Minister said "Information is the basis (for investigation).
After all the evidence lead from information."

Elaborating, he pointed out that when crime takes place,
in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which is equally applicable in
Pakistan because Indian Penal Code was enacted long before the
partition, the first investigation starts from First
Investigation Report (FIR).

"Even if they (Pakistan) describe this evidence as
information, it gives them ample opportunity to carry further
the investigation at their end because conspiracy took place
in the territory of Pakistan within the jurisdiction of
Pakistan that is the information and evidence we have given,"
Mukherjee said.

"What we are asking for. We are neither creating any war
hysteria nor making any attempt to divert attention from
the real issues to side issue or no issues. Therefore this
would address the real issues," he said.

Thanking India's "friends and well-wishers," for their
sympathy at this hour, Mukherjee said, "we expect you to do
more." PTI