Pak says Indian info on 26/11 not enough to act against Saeed

Rezaul H Laskar

Islamabad, Aug 6 (PTI) Notwithstanding India's assertion
that enough evidence has been provided to prosecute outlawed
JuD chief Hafiz Mohd Saeed, Pakistan Thursday said the inputs
given so far on the Mumbai attacks was not adequate to nail
him.

Pakistan, which has been accused of dilly-dallying in
taking action against the accused in the 26/11 attacks, also
made it clear that it will proceed in the case at its own
pace.

"It needs to be underlined that the dossiers and
information received from India apropos Saeed are not really
enough ... to proceed legally as is being expected," Foreign
Office spokesman Abdul Basit told a weekly news briefing here.

He was responding to a question about lawmakers in
the Indian Parliament accusing the Pakistani authorities about
the lack of action against Saeed.

Basit said Pakistan was proceeding in the case of Saeed
"according to our own laws."

Home Minister P Chidambaram had last week said that
India had provided "enough evidence" against the JuD chief in
three dossiers it gave to Islamabad.

A fresh dossier of evidence on the Mumbai attacks was
recently handed over by India to Pakistan, asking it to
expedite the prosecution of Saeed.

The latest Indian dossier, comprising a seven-page
summary and 60 pages of annexures, contains replies to queries
posed by Pakistan with regard to investigation and legal
process involved in the 26/11 attacks blamed on
Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT).

Five LeT operatives, including its operations commander
Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and communications expert Zarar Shah, are
currently being tried by an anti-terror court in Rawalpindi in
connection with the Mumbai attacks. The court has adjourned
the trial till August 29.

Basit said Pakistan was moving forward with the trial of
the five arrested LeT operatives but could not comment in
details as the matter is subjudice.

Saeed, who was put under house arrest in December last
year in the wake of the Mumbai attacks, was freed on June 2
on the orders of the Lahore High Court.

The Federal and Punjab provincial governments last month
filed petitions before the Supreme Court against the release
of Saeed.

The apex court on August 3 indefinitely adjourned the
hearing of the petitions challenging Saeed's release after the
Advocate General representing Punjab government in the case
resigned.

In response to another question, Basit said he had no
knowledge about any effort to repatriate the bodies of two of
the Mumbai attackers acknowledged by Islamabad as Pakistani
nationals.PTI RHL
AM
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