India again asks Pak to speedup 26/11 trial

India has asked Pakistan to handover voice samples of the handlers of the Mumbai attackers, speed up the trial against 26/11 terror accused, including LeT Commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, and to stop cross-border terrorism.

During his first meeting with Pakistani counterpart Rehman Malik on the sidelines of the SAARC Home/Interior Ministers conference, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde referred to pending requests, including punishment to those who were involved in Mumbai attack, handing over of voice samples of handlers of the terrorists.

"Minister Rehman Malik reiterated Pakistan's commitment to ensure that the trials in Pakistan, with regard to the 2008 Terrorist attacks in Mumbai, would be taken to their logical conclusion," an official said.

In this regard, Malik mentioned the need for India to receive a second visit by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan. Shinde assured his counterpart of an early response to this request.

New Delhi is upset with Islamabad for the long delay in the trial against Lakhvi and six other Pakistani suspects charged with involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attack. Even on Tuesday, the trial was adjourned till September 29 as the judge was unavailable to conduct the hearing.

At the last hearing on September 15 too, three officials of the Federal Investigation Agency came to Pakistan's Adiala Jail, where the trial is being conducted, but were unable to testify. The trial has been delayed due to a variety of technical reason also while the court's judge was changed five times.

A Pakistani Commission had visited India following a bilateral agreement which said the commission would not quiz the magistrate, who recorded the confessional statement of arrested LeT terrorist Azmal Kasab and the investigating officer of the case and two doctors who conducted the postmortem of the nine slain terrorists.

However, after the Pakistani court dealing with the 26/11 case had said that evidence collected by the commission during its first visit to India in March had no "evidential value" to punish those involved in the Mumbai terror attack, Islamabad had asked New Delhi to allow its panel to visit Mumbai again.

In their meeting yesterday, both the leaders discussed matters of mutual interest and concern, including the core concerns of terrorism, cross-border terrorism, issues relating to fishermen, and release of prisoners.

"Both sides agreed to maintain interaction on intelligence relating to terrorism and other matters of common interest," the official said.

Shinde raised the issue of illegal border crossings, including infiltration along the International Border and Line of Control and both of them agreed that designated authorities will address these concerns and review the matter from time to time.

This was the first meeting between the two leaders following their telephone conversation on August 19. Shinde and Malik expressed their satisfaction on the resumed India-Pakistan Home Secretaries' dialogue.

Both sides agreed that the newly-signed bilateral visa agreement would be operationalised at a mutually-agreed date, after the notification of the visa rules and regulations by the respective governments. They affirmed their resolve to remain in close contact.

Malik renewed his invitation for Shinde to visit Pakistan on mutually-convenient dates, which the latter accepted. Shinde also invited Minister Malik to visit India soon.

Malik also extended invitation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to visit Pakistan and offer prayers at Nankana Sahib, the birth place of first Sikh Guru Nanak Dev.

Talking to reporters, Malik said he is looking for good relations with India in future.

Shinde said Malik had called him within three hours of his assuming the post of Home Minister and he saw this as a good sign to improve the bilateral relations.

The two leaders pledged to take more steps to make the relations between the two countries better.

For this, they said, both countries should respect each other and find a way to improve relations.