Expressing disappointment over Pakistan Supreme Court letting off Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Mohd Saeed, India said on Friday that it had given "enough evidence" against the Mumbai terror attack "mastermind" which was sufficient to convict him.
On the eve of crucial talks between Indo-Pak Foreign Ministers, top diplomats of the two countries met in New York on Saturday to prepare ground for the parleys, where India is expected to demand speedy probe into the Mumbai attacks and decisive action against their mastermind, Jamaat-ud-Dawaah chief Hafiz Mohd Saeed.
Pakistan Supreme Court on Monday rejected, on technical grounds, two petitions by the Pakistan and Punjab governments challenging release of Hafiz Mohd Saeed, Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief and a key accused in the Mumbai attacks, from house arrest, prompting authorities to announce they will file fresh pleas after removing the flaws.
"We are unhappy," said Home Minister P Chidambaram, reacting to Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Mohd Saeed's release by a court in Pakistan.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh apologised on Thursday to the country for the government's inability to prevent the Mumbai attacks and vowed to gear up the security apparatus to prevent recurrence of such incidents besides building pressure on Pakistan to end the scourge.
Banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Mohd Saeed has joined the debate over conditions attached to US aid to be provided to Pakistan, charging that clauses asking the country to take action against militant groups had been included due to "Indian pressure".
Pakistan today said it has not received a formal request from India or Interpol to hand over 22 suspects in the Mumbai terror attacks even as it insisted it will take action against its nationals on its own soil.
Pakistan has no evidence linking the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Mohd Saeed to the Mumbai terror attacks but was detained in the interest of 'national security,' a top legal official said on Friday.
Notwithstanding the recent Indo-Pak foreign secretary-level meeting for which India took initiative, Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Mohd Saeed has said Pakistan will have to 'fight a war at all costs' if New Delhi is not prepared to hold talks.
India will step up pressure on Islamabad to speed up the probe into the 26/11 terror attacks and bring the perpetrators of the carnage, including JuD chief Hafiz Mohd Saeed, to justice when External Affairs Minister S M Krishna meets with his Pakistani counterpart in New York today.
Facing flak for inaction against Mumbai attack perpetrators, including Hafiz Mohd Saeed, Pakistan today said it does not want to take to court a "half-baked" case against the JuD chief in the absence of "legally tenable" evidence and asked India not to hold back the ties on a single issue.
Set free by the Lahore High Court nearly six months after he was placed under house arrest in the wake of Mumbai attacks, banned JuD chief Hafiz Mohd Saeed today claimed that the lone Pakistani terrorist captured alive during the 26/11 strikes had "no connection" with his outfit.