LeT serious threat, Pak needs to act against Saeed: EU

Ajay Kaul

New Delhi, Oct 11 (PTI) Viewing Lashkar-e-Taiba as a
"very serious threat" to India and rest of the world, European
Union has made it clear that Pakistan should act against the
terror group, its frontal outfit JuD and its chief Hafiz Saeed
as a "consequence" of ban imposed by the UN Security Council.

EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Gilles de Kerchove said
the civilian democratic government and army of Pakistan will
have to get their "act together" to eliminate such threats
emanating from that country.

"27 member states (of EU) fully understand and share the
assessment that LeT is a very serious threat," he told PTI in
an interview here.

Noting that LeT shares "global agenda" with al-Qaeda, the
top EU official said LeT was "obvious threat for India and we
are worried by that. It is a threat to us too."

Kerchove, who discussed with top Indian officials here
the threats emerging from the Pakistan in the backdrop of
26/11 strikes, said he had visited Islamabad in the recent
past "to convey our wish to see Pakistan prosecuting,
convicting authors of Mumbai attack."

He made it clear that the Pakistani government will have
to act against Jamaat-ud Dawa, the front organisation of LeT,
as "it has been put on UN list (of banned organisations),
including Saeed himself. Not only JuD, the person himself has
been listed by the sanctions committee."

When it was pointed out that Pakistan was refusing to act
against Saeed claiming that there was no evidence against him,
Kerchove said "one has to draw consequence...We expect
Pakistanis to draw the consequence of this (UN) listing. We
have intense dialogue with civilian government to achieve
that."

The EU official said Pakistan-based terrorist groups like
LeT or Jamaat-ud Dawa are a threat not only India but affect
Europe as well.

"We have seen movement between Europe and Pakistan, some
youngsters living in Europe going to Pakistan attending
training camps, madrassa. That is something on which we have
to exchange relevant information, assessment and discuss," he
said.

He said the Pakistani side had indicated "they are
serious" about terrorist threat as the civilian government
there feels that terrorism by groups like Taliban, LeT and
Jaish-e Mohammad pose "existential threat" to Pakistan.

Asked how serious Pakistan was in dealing with groups
like LeT considering that India says it not as serious as in
dealing with Taliban, Kerchove said his talks in Pakistan had
indicated that the civilian government is "more and more
conscious" that all forms of terrorism are a threat to it.

"I think this consciousness of the seriousness of problem
is there and that is why we have had the government change
course of action," he said, adding the civilian democratic
government and the army in Pakistan needed to "put their act
together".

Asked about his assessment about the steps taken by
Pakistan with regard to Mumbai attacks, the EU
Counter-Terrorism official did not give any opinion, saying
"there is an investigation going on".

At the same time, he said justice system in Pakistan
needs to improve significantly "because many people arrested
last year have not been convicted for lack of evidence."

Kerchove said the EU was willing to help Pakistan
strengthen investigative procedures and judicial processes.

When it was pointed out that India had given dossiers of
evidence on Mumbai attacks, he said "I am not a prosecutor. I
can't say if what you provided is enough."

He said the EU at the highest level has "conveyed
messages to Pakistanis (that) we want this to lead to very
professional investigation and very professional judicial
process." PTI AKK
ANU