Pakistan may allow India to interrogate Mumbai attack masterminds in Pak

Islamabad, Jan.4 (ANI): Under severe international pressure, Pakistan may soften its stand on the issue of bringing the perpetrators of the November, 2008 attack on Mumbai to book.

According to a senior Pak official, Pakistan may allow Indian investigators to interrogate the alleged terror suspects wanted by New Delhi for involvement in the Mumbai attacks.

The official, however made it clear that that the suspects would not be extradited to the neighbouring country.

"At the most Pakistan could permit the Indians to grill the people now under detention and being questioned by the Pakistani authorities and blamed by New Delhi for key role in Mumbai carnage. However, there is no likelihood that they will be handed over to India," The Nation quoted the official, as saying.

The official stated that Pakistan would allow quizzing the persons only if India provided sufficient evidence.

"The main thing is sufficient evidence proving the involvement of those who are being blamed," he said.

"India should provide substantial evidence about Lakhvi or Zarar or anyone else's involvement in Mumbai attacks to Pakistan and if they did so their investigators could be given access to the wanted persons for probe here on Pakistani soil," he added.

However, another official attacked India for its tough stand on the issue. He said that it has not done enough to de-escalate tension between the two nations.

"Indian authorities had not resorted to de-escalation and its air, sea and land troops were still on alert and at the same positions that they had taken after the Mumbai attacks," the news paper quoted the official without mentioning the name.

Earlier, on January 3, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had reiterated India's demand to Pak to hand over the masterminds of the Mumbai attack.

"India does not want war with Pakistan but it must hand over the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks," Singh said. (ANI)