By IANS,
New Delhi : India Tuesday said it was not considering military action against Pakistan at this stage but was waiting for Islamabad to act strongly against terrorists based in its territory responsible for terror attacks in the country.
“Nobody is talking of military action,” said External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee when asked to comment on media reports about a possible military action against the neighbouring country.
Mukherjee said India was waiting for a response from Pakistan over the extradition of 20 most wanted criminals who are said to be in that country.
“We issued a demarche (Monday). We are waiting for a response from Pakistan,” Mukherjee told reporters after talks with Arab league secretary Amar Musa.
“International community is behind us, including the newly elected US president Barack Obama,” Mukherjee underlined.
He was replying to a query about Pakistan’s response to India’s demand for handing over the 20 top criminals who are said to be behind major terror acts in India.
The demand came after terrorists, believed to have sailed to Mumbai via the sea route from Karachi along the Gujarat coast, carried out a major attack in the financial capital of India.
The Indian external affairs ministry summoned Pakistan’s High Commissioner Shahid Malik in New Delhi Monday and told him sternly that Pakistan’s actions must match its Jan 6, 2004 pledge not to allow its territory for anti-India terror strikes if it wanted better ties.
New Delhi also demanded the extradition of known terror masterminds like mob-boss Dawood Ibrahim, Maulana Masood Azhar, and Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, who are suspected to have a hand in major terror strikes against India.
A day after the Nov 26 Mumbai terror strikes that left at least 183 people dead, India had indicated the involvement of “elements in Pakistan” in this meticulously choreographed attacks at 10 landmarks in India’s financial capital.