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Rice demands “robust response” from Pakistan on Mumbai attacks

By NNN-PTI,

Islamabad : Putting Pakistan on notice, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice today demanded a “robust response” from Islamabad in bringing perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks to justice.

Rice, who flew in to Pakistan after meeting top Indian leaders in New Delhi, said she was not “carrying messages” but going to talk about the “Pakistani response”.

“It just has to be a robust response and one that is effective” in bringing the terrorists to justice, Rice was quoted by foreign agencies as telling reporters on board her flight from New Delhi.

Rice said she had also been emphasising the importance of prevention of terror strikes in Pakistan.

“The Pakistanis are sophisticated; they have been dealing with terrorism themselves for sometime. So I am going there to talk about a Pakistani response, not to carry messages,” she said.

Soon after arrival, Rice met Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani in the garrison town of Rawalpindi before holding talks with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani.

In New Delhi, Rice rejected Pakistan’s contention on “non-state actors” being responsible for the Mumbai terror attacks and demanded that Islamabad take “direct and tough” action against them.

Rice made it clear that Pakistan must act “transparently, fully and urgently” on the leads in connection with the Mumbai incidents and implement its commitments to India in the probe.