By IANS,
New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Wednesday said Pakistan’s refusal to handover 20 “most wanted” individuals to India was on expected lines and demanded that the government build international pressure on Pakistan through the United Nations to secure the suspects.
“It was expected of Pakistan. Two days ago, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari had said that Pakistan is also a victim of terrorism and now he is saying that Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab (the only terrorist arrested in the Mumbai terror attack) is stateless and is not a Pakistani national,” BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here.
“Pakistan had offered India a joint mechanism against terror. The government should reject it,” Prasad added.
India had earlier this week reiterated its demand that Pakistan hand over the 20 suspects, who include known terror masterminds like mob boss Dawood Ibrahim, Maulana Masood Azhar, the founder of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) which was suspected to be behind the Dec 13, 2001 attack on the Indian parliament, and LeT chief Hafez Mohammed Sayeed. Pakistan on Wednesday rejected the Indian demand.
Prasad also said the BJP’s core group would meet Thursday to discuss the entire security scenario in the country.
“The fight against terrorism is an international obligation under a resolution of the United Nation’s Security Council. If Pakistan does not support India in the fight against terrorism, then it would be a violation of that resolution,” he said.
“The India government should try to create international pressure on Pakistan through the United Nations to act against the terror machinery in their country. India should also protest in international forums against Pakistan,” Prasad added.