FIA team may visit Mumbai

FIA team may visit MumbaiStaff ReportISLAMABAD—Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani Wednesday said FIA team may be sent to India in connection with Mumbai attacks probe. He said the FIA team has sought permission for undertaking a visit to India. Pakistan has said that no formal request to India has been made as yet for extradition of Ajmal Kasab. In response to a question about Ajmal Kasab’s extradition, Foreign Office Spokesman Abdul Basit said that Pakistan has made no formal request to India as yet. However earlier talking to various TV channels Deputy Attorney General Sardar Mohammad Ghazi had said, “The government of Pakistan has formally requested the Indian government to hand over the custody of Ajmal Kasab because he is the prime suspect and the rest of these suspects, they are abettors, they abetted the crime”. Ghazi, who has been appointed the special public prosecutor for the trial of Pakistani suspects linked to the Mumbai attacks, said it would be difficult to prosecute the other accused if Kasab is not handed over to Pakistan. “I am sure the Indian government is going to look into it, they are going to take a decision because without having the custody of Ajmal Kasab in Pakistan, I think it will be very, very difficult to prosecute the rest of the suspects,” he told. Ghazi said he hoped to work in cooperation with Indian authorities to prosecute the persons arrested in Pakistan on suspicion of links to terror attack on Mumbai. “I am sure better sense (will prevail) and we will get the custody of Ajmal Kasab and we will be able to conduct the trial successfully,” he said.India has ruled out the possibility of handing over Kasab to Pakistan. Asked about his mandate, Ghazi said he would “be expected to conduct the trial of the Mumbai suspects and bring them to justice after...exchanging evidence (with) India and after talking to the Indian counterparts”. “Let me see what the evidence is like, we’ll be expecting cooperation from the Indian side also,” he said. “It is not a case which has taken place here in Pakistan. There are chains of events in India,” he said, adding that Pakistan had been informed by the Indian government that there “are lots of suspects in India also”. “We will try to see what evidence India provides us because the evidence on both sides is very important...on the basis of the joint evidence; we are going to bring the suspects to justice,.” He added. Ghazi said the Pakistan government had decided to conduct an in-camera trial because of security concerns about terrorist activities. “In order to make it safe and secure and free from all these activities, I think the government has decided to hold the proceedings in-camera. I think that is also good for national security,” he said. India on Wednesday again ruled out any kind of military action against Pakistan in the wake of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Speaking in Parliament, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that there was no question of launching any retaliatory strikes against Pakistan even though several political parties have suggested to the government to do the same post 26/11. The government is opposed to such action even though some countries are exercising the option, the minister stated, apparently referring to Israel’s recent military assault on Gaza. Even under the greatest provocation India values human rights, Mukherjee added.