ISLAMABAD (December 24 2008): India has not provided any list or any ample evidence regarding the suspected terrorists involved in the last month's Mumbai carnage to Interpol, said Secretary General of the Interpol Ronaldo Noble here on Tuesday.
India had not yet authorised the sharing of any information with the global police agency (Interpol) about those allegedly involved in the Mumbai attacks, said Noble while addressing a joint press conference with Advisor to the Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik after a meeting held at the Interior Ministry.
Noble is leading a five-member delegation of Interpol, which arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday amid rising tensions between Pakistan and India. On Monday, the delegation met Indian authorities in Mumbai to collect information about the gunman arrested after the Mumbai attacks.
New Delhi has blamed defunct Pakistan-based militant group for the last month's attacks, which left 172 people dead. Noble informed the media that till this date, India had not allowed its police and law-enforcement agencies to enter any data relating to the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai into Interpol's databases
When asked if it was unusual for India not to have agreed to Interpol's request for data-sharing, the Interpol chief was of the view that it was India's sovereign choice to decide when to agree. But he expressed the hope that more information would soon be forthcoming, following the deployment of a team of Interpol investigators in India.
Noble said that Pakistan was itself a terrorist-inflicted country and its leader Benazir Bhutto became a victim of terrorism. "We are satisfied over the co-operation extended by Pakistan relating to Mumbai attacks, as Pakistan investigation agencies are co-operative with Interpol and we are thankful to the Interior Advisor for his assistance", he added.
He termed terrorism a major problem faced by the world, and stressed the need for collective efforts from the entire world to eradicate this menace. Around 1,500 people had lost their lives in terror incidents in Pakistan, he added. Pakistan had whole-heartedly co-operated with the world community and complied with the United Nations resolutions, Noble said, and asked the world community to reciprocate the gestures of Pakistan and to extend help to Pakistan to curb the menace.
"Interpol has same information, which you possess," Ronaldo said, adding that Pakistan was co-operating with the Interpol and the world community should also cooperate with Pakistan. "None other than Pakistan till today co-operated more with the Interpol and it was the most proactive associate of this organisation (Interpol)," he said.
Advisor on Interior, Rehman Malik said that Ajmal Kasab had sent a letter to Pakistan through the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi. "Kasab, in his letter, requested for legal assistance, but the name of Ajmal Kasab has not been found in the record of the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra)," he added.
He said that there were set procedures for the handing over of the wanted person to any country, and "we are prepared to extend all possible co-operation to India relating to the Mumbai attacks. We will bring terrorists to justice," he vowed.
"Pakistan and India both were the victims of terrorism," Malik said. To a question, Rehman Malik said that in view of the UN Security Council decision, Pakistan had imposed ban on Jama'at-ud-Da'awa and detained activists of the group. "We want to bring the culprits to justice. We are prepared to cooperate with India, but they have to bring us evidence", Malik said.
Meanwhile, the Informed sources told Business Recorder that the Interpol team was investigating Indian allegations in connection with the Mumbai attacks. The team would collect the information about the measures taken by Pakistan after Mumbai attacks.
Indians are just saving their arse
