'India waiting for credible actions by Pak against terrorists'

Sagar Kulkarni

Onboard Special Aircraft, Jul 5 (PTI) India is "very
cautiously" and "responsibly" evaluating the conflicting
signals emanating from Pakistan on punishing the perpetrators
of the Mumbai terror attacks and was waiting for its "visible
and credible" actions against them.

Voicing his disapproval over the release of
Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) leader Hafeez Saeed, India's External
Affairs Minister S M Krishna Sunday said India has not yet
received any official communication about Pakistan
government's appeal against the release of the terror
mastermind in a higher court.

"The brain behind the terror attack has been released.
We have not heard about Pakistan government taking it up in an
appeal. So, in the light of that conflicting signals are
emanating from Pakistan," he told PTI on his way back from his
four-day trip to Japan.

Krishna said India has to "very cautiously and
responsibly" evaluate these signals.

Asked about the "credible action" India expects from
Pakistan, he said "well, it is very simple, we want
perpetrators of the attack on Mumbai to be brought to justice.
That is the only thing India is asking for and we are
waiting."

"I have repeatedly said that it has to be visible and
it has to be credible. There must be some commitment on the
part of Pakistan that they are going after the Mumbai
attackers," he underlined.

Krishna said if required he would meet his Pakistani
counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi on the sidelines of the
Non-Aligned Movement summit meeting in Egypt later this month.

"If there is a requirement, I will be too willing to
meet with the Foreign Minister of Pakistan. Anyway, we are
going to be under the same roof. So, let us see how things
move on," he said, adding that India has never hesitated from
holding talks with Pakistan at any level.

"I don't think that some of the other developments,
parallel developments which have taken place in Pakistan would
add credibility to Pakistan's desire for the Composite
Dialogue to move forward," he said.

On suggestions from the international community that
India should talk to Pakistan, Krishna said New Delhi has
never said no to talks with Islamabad.

"India has never said no to talks with Pakistan. India
has taken a very consistent position that we will talk. But we
will talk about terror. We will discuss about terror. India is
ever willing to talk about terror," he underlined.

On US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit,
Krishna said he had spoken to the American leader and was
looking forward to it.

The Minister said he would raise the issue of
terrorism emanating from Pakistan with Clinton when she visits
New Delhi later this month.

Asked whether he would convey India's unhappiness over
Pakistani inaction to Clinton, Krishna said the two sides
would be "looking at" terror during the course of their
discussions.

"We will be looking at terror per se because terror
has become one of the most hot topic of discussions with
foreign ministers. So, while dealing with terror, naturally,
Pakistan assumes importance," Krishna stressed.

The Minister did not agree with the projection by
Pakistan about Kashmir being the key issue between India and
Pakistan.

"I do not know whether I would agree with the
projection that Kashmir is the key among Indo-Pak issues.
India has its own issues. We are not unwilling to talk to
Pakistan on Kashmir.

"It is part and parcel of the composite dialogue,
which has already been agreed upon. So, we are willing to
talks on anything with Pakistan," Krishna underlined.

Asked to comment on the relevance of the Non-Aligned
Movement today, he said it has a very important global role to
play with particular reference to South-South cooperation.

"I refuse to believe that NAM has become irrelevant,"
he underlined.

"NAM has a very important global role to play with
particular reference to south-south cooperation. NAM becomes
an important instrumentality as far as Government of India is
concerned. So, I am looking forward to the summit taking place
in Egypt," he stressed.

Krishna said NAM at one point of time was a firm
bridge whose aim was to reduce the tensions in a polarised
world.

"Things have changed. Today, we do not have the Cold
War conditions prevailing. So, that might create an impression
in certain quarters that NAM has lost its usefulness. I do not
buy that theory," he noted.

Asked about India's relations with Nepal, Krishna said
the two nations have "very ancient bonds of friendship".

"With Nepal, we have the best of understanding. We
have very ancient bonds of friendship. It is our immediate
neighbour. It is a democracy, We want democracy to function
and flourish," he underlined.

He said he was planning to visit Nepal. "I am just
waiting for the process of ministry making in Nepal to be over
so that I can pay a goodwill visit there", he noted.

In regard to the latest crisis in the Korean peninsula
after the test firing of multiple missiles by North Korea, he
said nations must follow their commitments.

"India has a stated position. North Korea has given
certain commitments and they should live by those commitments.
And also, they should go in for the six-nation dialogue
process," he said. PTI SKU