By IANS,
New Delhi : The Indian team visiting Pakistan for the 2008 Mumbai attack investigations will have enough legal jurisdiction and the modalities would be worked out keeping in view existing laws, Home Minister P. Chidambaram said Friday.
“Modalities and procedures would have to be worked out (for the probe team). And when we work out the modalities and procedures, please be rest assured that I will be mindful of the legal provisions,” Chidambaram told reporters here, presenting the monthly report card of his ministry.
He was replying to a question about reports that the panel would have limited legal jurisdiction in the wake of the existing provisions of law.
He dismissed the apprehension saying, “Obviously, I cannot send a team without being mindful of its legal provisions.”
The home minister said the modalities and procedures “will be worked out quickly and the Indian team can travel to Pakistan soon”.
India and Pakistan early this week held a two-day meeting of their home secretaries where the two sides agreed to revive their anti-terror cooperation.
Pakistan after overcoming initial hesitation agreed to have an Indian judicial commission visit the country for investigation into the Nov 26-29, 2008 Mumbai attack by 10 Pakistani terrorists who killed 166 people, including foreigners.
The home minister said if the Indian team was allowed to gather evidence and information related to the Mumbai attack then “that is the time I think that the (Pakistani) promise would be delivered”.
He said this to a question on whether Pakistan has delivered on its promise of cooperating in bringing to justice the perpetrators of the Mumbai attack. Chidambaram had been assured of cooperation during his visit to Islamabad in June last year.
He said India has shared with Pakistan the initial leads on the 2007 Samjhauta Express train blast in which 68 people, including 43 Pakistanis, were killed.
“We have issued a statement. That statement itself says once investigation is completed and the final report is filed in court, that information will be shared with the government of Pakistan,” the home minister said, referring to the joint statement issued after Home Secretary G.K. Pillai met his Pakistani counterpart Qamar Zaman.