Pillai to invite Pak counterpart for meeting in mid-March

New Delhi, Feb 13 (PTI) In a quick follow-up to recentIndo-Pak decision to resume comprehensive talks, Union HomeSecretary G K Pillai will extend an invitation to hisPakistani counterpart for discussions here next month oncounter-terrorism, including progress in Mumbai terror attackstrial there.

"I will call my Pakistani counterpart this week invitinghim to New Delhi. I will propose two sets of dates to him fora meeting in second-half of next month," Pillai told PTI.

This will be first structured bilateral Secretary-levelmeeting on counter-terrorism, including progress on the 26/11trial in a Rawalpindi court.

More than two years after India had suspended compositedialogue with Pakistan in the wake of 26/11 attacks in 2008,the two sides recently decided to resume comprehensivedialogue comprising the same issues as in the composite one.

Asked about the issues to be taken up during the meetingwith Pakistan Interior Secretary Chaudhry Qamar Zaman, Pillaisaid, "From our side it will be, of course, progress oninvestigations (26/11).

"We will ask for voice transcripts even though the trialcourt has said no. We will ask them why they have not gone andappealed. I am sure the High Court or the Supreme Court mayhave said that the voice transcripts can be given."

Underlining lack of action on the part of Pakistan in theinvestigations in 26/11 attacks, he said, "So far most of thepeople they have caught are all chaps who have sold outboardengine or... driven a taxi and not anyone of the main peoplewhose voice has been identified by Pakistani-Americanterrorist David Headley."

"I think by now, if they wanted, they should havearrested main persons behind it (Mumbai attacks). No usecatching people on the street.... and not the real controllersand who are behind it (attacks)", despite India providing themthe names, photographs and their addresses, the Home Secretarysaid.

Headley''s own evidence shows clearly that there wassupport of certain elements in Pakistan state. So, to thatextent anything which leads back to them, there is "totaldeniability", Pillai said when asked about what was preventingPakistan from taking strong actions against those responsiblefor the attack.

He also rejected the view that recent developments in theinvestigations into the Samjhauta Express blast indicatinginvolvement of right-wing extremism will put pressure on Indiawhile talking with Pakistan on terrorism.

"It will not put pressure on us. We are open about it.

The investigations are open. Our courts are free. We areinvestigating the same. We had told them in June also that theinvestigations are on and as something crystallises, we shallshare it with them.

"And now, we have said that as soon as the chargesheet isfiled we will share full details with them because a verylarge number of Pakistani citizens were killed," Pillai said.