Pakistan reiterates demand for justice for Samjhauta Express blast victims

Indian Charge d’Affaires asked to convey Pakistan's condemnation of those acquitted, exonerated in 2007 bomb blasts

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan on Friday has reiterated its demand for justice for the victims of 2007 Samjhauta Express blasts, which claimed the lives of 68 innocent passengers, including 44 Pakistani nationals.

The Indian Charge d’Affaires in Islamabad was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was conveyed Pakistan’s severe disappointment at the Indian government’s callousness towards the plight of the Pakistani nationals’ families who still await justice.

The Indian diplomat was further informed that the Hindutva extremism and “saffron terror” that had motivated the inhuman attack 15 years ago had intensified under the current regime in India.

He was asked to convey to the Indian government Pakistan’s condemnation of the "shameless acquittal and exoneration of all those accused in the terrorist attack, including Swami Aseeman and an RSS activist, who publicly confessed to being the mastermind of the heinous attack."

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“This was just another manifestation of the brazen impunity and state protection that perpetrators of terrorism enjoy[ed] in the BJP-ruled India,” the ministry maintained.

The Charge d’Affaires was further asked to tell the Indian government about Pakistan’s demand for a fair trial and for bringing the perpetrators and abettors of the Samjhauta Express terrorist attack to justice.

In a statement, the Foreign Office spokesperson called upon India to renounce the use of terrorism as "an instrument of state policy" and faithfully implement its obligations under the international legal regime governing terrorism.

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On February 18, 2007, an improvised explosive device (IED) blast was carried out in the Samjhauta train, which ran between New Delhi and Lahore, at Panipat in Haryana. The incident had claimed 68 lives, including 44 Pakistani nationals, 10 Indian citizens, and 15 unidentified persons. About 12 others were also injured in the attack.

Initially, a Muslim group was blamed for the incident but later the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) of India arrested Kamal Chauhan of the Hindu extremist organisation, RSS, in New Delhi. Chauhan was an explosives specialist, who had planted the bomb in the train.

(WITH INPUT FROM APP)