PHOTO: REUTERS
Islamabad on Friday formally registered a strong protest with New Delhi over the latter’s decision to not contest the bail of one of the masterminds of the 2007 Samjhauta Express blasts that killed 68 people, including 42 Pakistanis.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office summoned a senior Indian envoy here to convey Pakistan’s concerns over the development.
“The Indian deputy high commissioner was called in by the director general (SA& SAARC) today and a protest was lodged against decision of India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) to not contest the bail granted to Swami Aseemanand on ‘Special Leave Permission’,” the FO said in a statement.
It said the government of Pakistan had serious reservations about the efficiency of the court in processing and disposing of cases regarding terrorism, especially those involving the deaths of Pakistani citizens.
The Samjhauta Express, one of the two active rail links between Pakistan and India, was bombed in February 2007.
“No action has been taken by the Indian authorities against the mastermind and perpetrator of this dastardly attack,” the FO regretted.
It, however, said the government of Pakistan expected India to take steps to bring to justice all those involved in the heinous act of terrorism on the Samjhauta Express, in which 42 innocent Pakistani citizens lost their lives.
Earlier this week, the Indian government informed the Lok Sahba that the NIA would not challenge the conditional bail granted to Naba Kumar Sarkar alias Swami Aseemanand by the Punjab and Haryana high court last year in the Samjhauta blasts case.
The Indian Union home ministry said the NIA, upon examining the feasibility of filing a special leave petition, found no grounds to challenge the order in the Supreme Court.
The move has not only invited strong reaction from Pakistan but also raised eyebrows within India as opposition parties in India accused the BJP government of going soft on terror cases involving right-wing Hindu outfits.
Pakistan is also likely to raise the issue during the upcoming talks between the national security advisers of the two countries in New Delhi.
Meanwhile, the Indian High Commissioner called on the Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz here Friday. Dr T C Raghavan was informed that the adviser would lead the Pakistan delegation for talks with the Indian national security adviser on August 23 and 24.
Pakistan on Thursday accepted the Indian invitation for crucial talks that come against the backdrop of ongoing tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors due to border tensions.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 15th, 2015.
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