By IANS,
New Delhi : External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said Thursday that India has asked Pakistan to return 40 fugitives from Indian law and to take “positive steps” to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan.
“We have given them a list of 40 persons” indicted in different terrorist and criminal activities in India, Mukherjee told the Lok Sabha as the house discussed the Mumbai terror attacks.
The 40 most wanted include mob boss Dawood Ibrahim, who is suspected of masterminding the devastating 1993 Mumbai bombings.
“We have given these names at every home secretary-level talks and at every meeting of foreign secretaries of the two countries. We have given these names during the four meetings of the anti-terror mechanism,” said Mukherjee.
“What we are telling the government of Pakistan is to act. Mere expression of intent is not enough,” Mukherjee said while debunking Islamabad’s claims that the terrorists were non-state actors.
“Are non-state actors coming from heaven? Did they come from another planet? Non-state actors were operating from the territory of a country,” Mukherjee said, without naming Pakistan.
“We expect Pakistan to take some positive steps. It is for the Pakistan government to decide,” he said, while asking Islamabad to “dismantle terrorist infrastructure” in its territory.