11 July : Pakistan should take credible action against perpetrators of Mumbai terror attack, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Saturday disclosing that he asked G-8, G-5 members to “put pressure” on it to shed the path of terrorism and choose friendship with India.
Singh said Islamabad has given some information on what it is doing to punish the masterminds of the terror attack and added that with this hope he would meet his counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani in Egypt next week.
Talking to reporters accompanying him on the way back home from Italy, Singh said after his meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari in Russia last month, there have been discussions between the High Commissioners and with the ISI chief and Foreign Office.“They have given some suggestion…some information on what they are doing about punishing those behind the Mumbai massacre. Now now we hope they would take some steps in that direction and with this hope I will meet Gilani (in Egypt early next week),” he said.
He was answering a question whether there was any hope that Pakistan would take action against those responsible and whether he had asked G-8,G-5 leaders to put pressure on Pakistan.
Singh, who would meet Gilani on the sidelines of the NAM Summit in Sharm el sheik, said “The other thing I want to say is in G-8 and G-5 in whatever forum I spoke there was a lot of appreciation of the fact that it has been a victim of terrorism trying to destabilise the country for 25-30 years and we have evidence of who is behind this”.
“I appealed to all the world leaders (gathered there) that they should put pressure on Pakistan to she the path of terrorism and choose friendship with India.”
He was replying to a question whether there has been anything “positive” done by Pakistan on India’s demands after his meeting with President Asif Zardari in Yekaterinburg in Russia last month and whether India was seeking international pressure on Islamabad to check terrorism directed against it from there.
To a question on the current impasse with Pakistan, he said India and Pakistan were close neighbours.
“We can choose our friends but we have no choice about our neighbours. India wants to realise its ambitions on development and that requires peace with neighbours.”
PM returns home after attending G-8 & G-5 meet
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived New Delhi on Saturday after a four-day trip to Italy where he attended a summit of G-8 and G-5 leaders.
The meetings discussed the current global economic crisis, issues of climate change and the stalled Doha round trade talks and various other issues.