By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistan still awaits Indian replies to its 30 questions about the Mumbai attacks, Interior Ministry Advisor Rehman Malik said on Sunday, urging India to reply as soon as possible to take the investigation process forward.
Pakistan handed over to India 30 questions on February 12 with its response to the Indian dossier on the Mumbai incident.
“Unfortunately till today, the replies have not been received.” Rehman Malik told a joint news conference with Interpol chief Ronald Noble after their talks.
“I request (Indian authorities) to send that reply as quick as possible so that my prosecutors can collect the evidence and prosecution is done really and in a successful manner to bring the culprits to justice,” Malik said.
He said 30 questions were given to India to seek further information on the Mumbai attacks so that it could successfully prosecute the suspects taken into custody in connection with the terrorist assault.
“I will again urge my counterpart to please pay some more attention to it. We have only 13 days left in the remand (of four suspects),” Malik said.
He identified the four suspects currently in police custody as Lashker-e-Taiba operatives Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Zarar Shah, Abu al Qama and Hamad Amin Sadiq.
He said a case had been registered by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in connection with the Mumbai attacks and eight persons were booked. However, he did not identify all these persons. The evidence provided by Indian “will make the prosecution’s case more tenable”, Malik said.
He also pointed out that while suspects could be held in police custody for 90 days in India, Pakistani laws allowed police remand for only 30 days.
Giving further details of Pakistan’s probe into the Mumbai incident, Malik said information on the incident was received from India on January 5. This information was passed on to the FIA on January 16. The FIA then conducted an investigation and submitted its report to the interior ministry on February 3.
On February 12, Malik had said that Pakistan had detained six suspects and identified two more who are still at large. However, he said today that only four suspects were in custody.
Malik also said Interpol had promised to give Pakistan more access to Interpol database, more terminals for benefit of investigations Officer of rank of Deputy Inspector General requested by Interpol posted permanently to handle international and cyber crime
The Interpol chief Ronald Noble said for the first time in three months since attacks, Interpol received police information that will allow it to help Pakistan’s FIA “thoroughly and comprehensively determine the international dimension” of the incident Information on those who planned, facilitated and funded attacks, telephone numbers, bank accounts used in terrorist financing, internet addresses and equipment and materials used to prepare attacks.
He said FIA established links to seven countries, including India. Others in Europe and Middle East Information being checked against Interpol’s global databases to determine “what other international links may exist.”