NEW DELHI: India today rejected Pakistan’s contention about insufficient evidence against Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi and asked it to ensure reversal of bail granted to him as Parliament expressed outrage over the development and condemned it.
As members raised the issue in Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the bail granted to Lakhvi yesterday has come as a “shock” to all those who believe in humanity world over, particularly after every Indian shared the pain of the massacre of Pakistani children in Peshawar on Tuesday.
The Lok Sabha adopted a quickly-drafted resolution condemning the bail granted to Lakhvi and asked the government to take “all steps in its power, including through its relations with foreign countries, to put pressure on Pakistan to bring this matter to a satisfactory conclusion.”
As the House stood as one on the issue sinking differences, Modi said India immediately conveyed its sentiments in the “strongest terms” to Pakistan and the future actions will take into account the agitated feelings expressed by the MPs.
Referring to the massacre in a school in Peshawar, he said, “The pain felt in India was no less than that felt in Pakistan. Every Indian had tears in eyes… But immediately after that this kind of behavior has come as shock to all those who believe in humanity.”
He assured the House that the sentiments expressed by the members will be reflected in government’s actions on the issue.
Immediately after, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj made a statement, saying, “We reject this argument that there is lack of adequate evidence.”
She said by allowing bail to Lakhvi, Pakistan has made mockery of its pledge to fight terrorism “without any condition or discrimination” and asserted that Pakistan should immediately get this decision overturned. . Slamming the development, Swaraj said, “We do not accept this fact that Lakhvi, who is the 26/11 mastermind and has been declared an international terrorist by the UN, is released on bail…. We demand that Pakistan government should have this decision overturned immediately. We are keeping a watch on its response.”
Noting that India’s stand on the issue has been clearly spelt out to Pakistan, she said, “We reject this argument that there is lack of adequate evidence” against the perpetrators of the November 26, 2008 attack in which 166 people were killed.
“The Pakistan government, by letting Lakhvi go out on bail, has made a mockery of its pledge to fight terror groups without any condition or discrimination… It emboldens terrorists who committed massacre of children in Peshawar,” she said.
Asserting “without doubt” that the conspiracy for Mumbai attack of 2008 was hatched in Pakistan, the External Affairs Minister said 99 per cent evidence is available in Pakistan and Pakistani investigators had six years to collect all evidence.”
She said “it is their (Pakistan’s) responsibility to ensure punishment to them (Mumbai attack accused) by furnishing evidence.”
Referring to the massacre carried out by terrorists in Peshawar on Tuesday, Swaraj said, “We felt the pain of the families whose loved ones were killed in the attack. That day not only were their children killed but a part of humanity also died.”
Immediately after, the Lok Sabha, which had passed a resolution on Wednesday against terror attack in Peshawar, adopted a resolution, “We express grave concern of the Indian people that just one day after the tragic killing of 141 innocent children and others in Peshawar, an accused terrorist could be released on bail by the same country.
“It seems that the lesson that there should be no compromise with terrorists has not been learnt.” –PTI
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