India has only sought three suspects, not 20, says Pak PM's interior adviser

Islamabad, Dec.5 : Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's Adviser on Interior Affairs, Rehman Malik, has that India has only sought three terrorist suspects and not twenty as has been reported by the media.

He also said that the list submitted by the Indian Government does not include the name of Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the head of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, which is being accused of masterminding last week's terror strikes in Mumbai that claimed nearly 200 lives and caused injuries to nearly 300.

"They gave us three names, two of them are Indian nationals - Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon - and the third is Masood Azhar," Malik told reporters here on Thursday.

He said the two Indian nationals were not on Pakistani soil, and India should provide evidence against Azhar so that the "law can take its own course".

He also denied India had asked Pakistan in writing for a visit of the Inter-Services Intelligence chief.

"Pakistan will extend unconditional co-operation to India to bring culprits to justice. A criminal is a criminal whether he is from Pakistan, India or from anywhere else in the world. But we need concrete evidence against those mentioned by India and the law of the land will take its course," The Daily Times quoted Malik, as saying.

To a question regarding the alleged role of Lashkar-e-Toiba in terrorism in India, Malik said the organisation and its activities had already been banned in Pakistan.

ANI