Pak gives India six files and makes way for talks

Ahead of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) summit in Bhutan later in the week, Pakistan handed over six dossiers to India on Sunday.

So far there is no word from South Block on the contents of the material handed over to the Indian envoy in Islamabad, but it may make the talks between prime minister Manmohan Singh and his counterpart Yousaf Raza Gilani easier.

It is likely that Pakistan, in its dossiers, has given details of what it has done so far to bring the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack to justice. Though the reports haven’t been disclosed yet, the dossiers would probably contain details of the action taken to nail the culprits. For, India had made it clear that unless some progress was seen in the case against 26/11 terrorists, it would be impossible for it to engage with Pakistan.

Refusing to speculate what was in the dossiers, ministry of external affairs (MEA) spokesman Vishnu Prakash said, “We have to first get it. [We will have to] study the contents before responding.”

On Saturday, India’s high commissioner to Pakistan Sharat Sabharwal met Pakistani interior minister Rehman Malik. He was briefed on what action had been taken by Pakistan so far. On Sunday, India’s deputy high commissioner Rahul Kulshreshth was handed over the six dossiers.

According to reports appearing in the Pakistani media, Islamabad had requested that Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving terrorist of the Mumbai attack, now facing trial in India, should be handed over for questioning to the authorities investigating the case there. Though this sounds like a request to extradite Kasab, reports from Pakistan said it was to facilitate the trial, by a Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court, of LeT commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and six others charged with involvement in Mumbai terror attack.

Malik explained to Sabharwal that Kasab’s testimony was an essential legal requirement for the case. The prosecution had requested the Lahore high court to declare Kasab a proclaimed offender. If the court accepts the prosecution’s request, Kasab would become part of the trial at Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court.
India has not officially responded to the request. It is unlikely that New Delhi will agree to this. “Kasab is facing trial for a heinous act committed on Indian soil. His sentence is expected on May 3,” a senior official said, indicating that Kasab will have to serve his sentence here. The government would not like to risk sending Kasab to Rawalpindi even if his testimony was important to nail Lakhvi and others.

Meanwhile Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has praised prime minister Manmohan Singh saying he wanted economic regeneration for the entire region. “Political forces should support his positive thinking to resolve issues between Pakistan and India,” Qureshi said.