Pak Not to Hand its Citizens to India in 26/11
Pakistan has said that instead of handing it citizens suspected of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack to India, it would try them under its own law.
“No Pakistani would be handed over to any other country including India,” Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Malik Amad Ahmed Khan said during the debate in the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, on the budget for fiscal 2009-10, Online news agency reported.
He said that the probe into the mayhem would be carried out as per Pakistani laws in the light of evidences given by India and that his country’s soil would not be allowed to be used for launching terrorist attacks.
“Pakistan wants cordial relations with its neighbouring countries to be based on equality. The government is trying to highlight the image of the country as a moderate Islamic state among the comity of nations,” Khan maintained.
The statement bears importance for it came a day after a special court in Mumbai issued non-bailable warrants against 22 people who are believed to be in Pakistan and are wanted for suspected involvement in the attack which claimed over 170 lives.
The suspects include Jamaat-ud-Daawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Sayeed and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) head of operations Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi.
Hafiz Sayeed, considered one of the masterminds of the 26/11 attacks, had been put under house arrest in December 2008 but released June 2 by a Lahore court for want of evidence.
The other accused absconders against whom NBWs are sought include: Abu Hamza, Abu Al Kama alias Amjid, Abu Kaahfa, Muzammil alias Yusuf, Zarar Shah, Abu Fahadullah, Abu Abdul Rehman, Abu Anas, Abu Bashir, Abu Imran, Abu Mufti Saeed, Abu Umar Saeed, Mohammed Ishfaq, Javed Iqbal, Sajid Iftikhar, Khurram Shahdad, Abu Abdur Rehman, Abu Mavia and Abu Hanzla Pathan.
The NBW is sought to be issued also against a Pakistan army officer identified as Col. R. Sadatullah.
