Indian govt draw opposition barbs over Malik’s trip
Shinde criticised for “not responding appropriately” to Malik’s statements.
NEW DELHI:
Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s ‘romantic birthday celebrations’ in India seem to have undone several months of diplomatic efforts aimed at peace with Pakistan.
Senior opposition leader of India Yashwant Sinha was seen to hit out in the Parliament at Indian Home Minister S K Shinde for
“not responding appropriately” to Malik’s controversial remarks about 26/11 Mumbai attacks’ mastermind Hafiz Saeed and the Babri Masjid issue.
During his visit, Malik had compared the 2008 Mumbai attacks with the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in 1992.
However, he later claimed that his statement had been misunderstood. It was also noted that despite Indian insistence that Saeed was guilty, Malik repeatedly said that Saeed had been arrested thrice in Pakistan and then let off by courts owing to lack of evidence.
The Pakistani minister’s statements had “hurt the prestige of the country”, said Sinha, who lashed out at Shinde for remaining “silent” during the visit. Furthermore, the Indian opposition leader demanded that no talks should be held with Pakistan “until the culprits of Mumbai terror attacks, prime conspirator Hafiz Saeed, were handed over to New Delhi by Islamabad”.
Shinde said he specially mentioned that “India’s investigations have shown that Hafiz Saeed was one of the masterminds of the Mumbai attacks.”
He added that Malik was “misinformed” about the actual reasons of Saeed’s earlier arrests whom India blames as the main conspirator in the 26/11 attacks. “From the papers given to us, it is clear that the detentions of Hafiz Saeed in the aforesaid cases were for other reasons and not for his role as a conspirator in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.”
In the Rajya Sabha opposition leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said Malik’s statements were “a deliberate design” by Pakistan not to take action against Saeed as he enjoyed “the protection of the Pakistan government”, adding that this was “very disturbing”.
“Why was he (Malik) called,” questioned Prasad, while objecting over Malik’s statements.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 18th, 2012.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s ‘romantic birthday celebrations’ in India seem to have undone several months of diplomatic efforts aimed at peace with Pakistan.
Senior opposition leader of India Yashwant Sinha was seen to hit out in the Parliament at Indian Home Minister S K Shinde for
“not responding appropriately” to Malik’s controversial remarks about 26/11 Mumbai attacks’ mastermind Hafiz Saeed and the Babri Masjid issue.
During his visit, Malik had compared the 2008 Mumbai attacks with the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in 1992.
However, he later claimed that his statement had been misunderstood. It was also noted that despite Indian insistence that Saeed was guilty, Malik repeatedly said that Saeed had been arrested thrice in Pakistan and then let off by courts owing to lack of evidence.
The Pakistani minister’s statements had “hurt the prestige of the country”, said Sinha, who lashed out at Shinde for remaining “silent” during the visit. Furthermore, the Indian opposition leader demanded that no talks should be held with Pakistan “until the culprits of Mumbai terror attacks, prime conspirator Hafiz Saeed, were handed over to New Delhi by Islamabad”.
Shinde said he specially mentioned that “India’s investigations have shown that Hafiz Saeed was one of the masterminds of the Mumbai attacks.”
He added that Malik was “misinformed” about the actual reasons of Saeed’s earlier arrests whom India blames as the main conspirator in the 26/11 attacks. “From the papers given to us, it is clear that the detentions of Hafiz Saeed in the aforesaid cases were for other reasons and not for his role as a conspirator in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.”
In the Rajya Sabha opposition leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said Malik’s statements were “a deliberate design” by Pakistan not to take action against Saeed as he enjoyed “the protection of the Pakistan government”, adding that this was “very disturbing”.
“Why was he (Malik) called,” questioned Prasad, while objecting over Malik’s statements.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 18th, 2012.