By IANS,
New Delhi : India was formulating answers to Pakistan’s queries on the dossier given to it on the 26/11 carnage that would be handed over shortly, Home Minister P. Chidambaram said Friday, adding that many of the answers were contained in the chargesheet filed by the Mumbai police on the terror attacks.
“Even if I say so, the dossier was an irrefutable document, solid on its facts and sound in its analysis,” said Chidambaram at a press conference detailing his ministry’s achievements three months after he took over.
“After prevaricating for several weeks, Pakistan was forced to admit that its territory was used to plot and carry out the terrorist attacks. That admission was a signal victory for the United Progressive Alliance government’s cerebral foreign policy and coercive diplomacy.”
Pakistan had posed 30 queries in response to New Delhi’s dossier on the Mumbai terror attack.
“On our part, we are formulating the answers to the questions raised by Pakistan. Many of the answers are contained in the chargesheet filed by the Mumbai police which is a public document,” he said.
Chidambaram also pointed out Pakistan appeared to have made a start in investigating the origins of the terror attacks in Mumbai.
“We expect Pakistan to take the investigations to their logical conclusion and prosecute and punish the perpetrators of the crime.”
“Countering cross-border terrorism is, to a large degree, a mind game. Our diplomacy has yielded results. I may add that we will back our diplomatic efforts with a high degree of preparedness to meet any terrorist threat or attack,” the home minister maintained.
The Mumbai police Wednesday filed a chargesheet running into over 11,000 pages including annexures naming Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone terrorist captured alive, and 34 others, all of them operatives of the Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group, for the Mumbai carnage that claimed the lives of more than 170 people.
Kasab is also one of the eight men named in a case registered by Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency on the Mumbai attacks.
In response to Pakistani Navy chief Admiral Noman Bashir’s remarks that Kasab didn’t take the sea route to the Indian port city, Chidambaram said: “Somebody will deny what the navy chief has said tomorrow. They have been prevaricating for many weeks.”
Asked about the mention of a serving Pakistani army official mentioned in the voluminous chargesheet, the home minister said, “We do not know. The investigating officer Rakesh Maria (joint commissioner of Mumbai police Crime Branch) said they have zeroed on some one but don’t have the name.”
He refused to speak on the case registered by the Pakistan in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
“How can I comment on case registered by them? I can only say our case has reached a state where a chargesheet has been filed.”