By Prensa Latina,
New Delhi : British Foreign Affairs Secretary David Miliband ruled out here that the Pakistani government was the brains behind the November 2008 attacks on the Indian city of Mumbai, where 172 people were killed.
“I have said publicly that I do not believe that the attacks were directed by the Pakistani state and I think it’s important to restate that,” Miliband told a press conference in New Delhi after meeting his Indian counterpart, Pranab Mukherjee.
Miliband’s statements differ from those of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who claimed that the attacks were sponsored by Pakistani officials, and accused Islamabad of using terrorism as a political tool.
The British foreign affairs secretary arrived in this capital early on Tuesday for a three-day official visit.
Miliband recalled that Pakistan is vital for India and Afghanistan’s security, and repeated his support for the Pakistani government’s fight against terrorism.
He noted the relevance of Pakistan’s fight against the armed Islamic group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and pointed out that it is clear who are responsible for the attacks.
“The responsibility of the Pakistan state is to bring the perpetrators to justice. There’s a history of people being arrested and not brought to justice. It is essential to bring them to justice,” Miliband said.
“The fundamental issue is how the state takes on that terrorist organization, to take it on politically in a very frontal way,” he pointed out.
For his part, Mukherjee noted the need to increase international pressure on Pakistan to act against terrorist groups.
The Indian foreign minister told reporters that he hoped Pakistan would act accordingly and would guarantee that those responsible for the Mumbai attacks be tried based on the evidence India has provided.
Miliband will travel to Islamabad on Friday.