Stalled dialogue: Mumbai deadlock eroding prospects for peace process
New Delhi agreed to verify statements of Indian prosecutors and doctors, but then backtracked.
ISLAMABAD:
The chances of resumption of the stalled peace process between Pakistan and India appear to be fading away because of the persisting deadlock over the trial of Mumbai attacks suspects.
“India now seems to be backtracking on its earlier commitment to allow a Pakistan judicial commission to verify statements of investigation officers who recorded the confession of Mumbai attacks’ lone-surviving gunman Ajmal Kasab,” officials said.
They added that the verification of Indian prosecutors’ statements was a legal requirement to expedite the trial
of seven suspects held in Pakistan in connection with the Mumbai attacks.
The suspects include the alleged mastermind of the attack on India’s financial capital, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative named Zarar Shah.
The court indicted the seven men on the eve of the first anniversary of the attack, which ended a fragile peace process between the two countries.
But Pakistan officials have since implied that the trials cannot proceed until its judicial commission is allowed to verify statements of Indian prosecutors and doctors.
New Delhi agreed, in principle, to accept Islamabad’s request. The Indian government had now made a counter proposal, seeking access to suspects being tried in the anti-terrorism court of Rawalpindi, officials said.
Officials argue the government could only entertain India’s request if the suspects volunteered themselves to be questioned by the Indians.
“According to information, the suspects have refused to record their statements and provide voice samples to the Indian commission,” a government official told The Express Tribune.
Foreign Office spokesperson, Abdul Basit, confirmed that New Delhi had officially conveyed to Islamabad on December 25 that it wanted to send a commission to Pakistan to quiz Lakhvi and others like Zarar Shah, Abu al Qama, Hamad Amin and Shahid Jamal Riaz. All are currently lodged in the high-security Adiala Jail near Rawalpindi.
“The Indian request will be dealt with according to Pakistan’s law,” said Abdul Basit. Another official said the latest Indian move was nothing more than a ploy to delay accepting Pakistan’s request. “We fear that everything will fall apart on this issue,” he cautioned.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 29th, 2010.
The chances of resumption of the stalled peace process between Pakistan and India appear to be fading away because of the persisting deadlock over the trial of Mumbai attacks suspects.
“India now seems to be backtracking on its earlier commitment to allow a Pakistan judicial commission to verify statements of investigation officers who recorded the confession of Mumbai attacks’ lone-surviving gunman Ajmal Kasab,” officials said.
They added that the verification of Indian prosecutors’ statements was a legal requirement to expedite the trial
of seven suspects held in Pakistan in connection with the Mumbai attacks.
The suspects include the alleged mastermind of the attack on India’s financial capital, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative named Zarar Shah.
The court indicted the seven men on the eve of the first anniversary of the attack, which ended a fragile peace process between the two countries.
But Pakistan officials have since implied that the trials cannot proceed until its judicial commission is allowed to verify statements of Indian prosecutors and doctors.
New Delhi agreed, in principle, to accept Islamabad’s request. The Indian government had now made a counter proposal, seeking access to suspects being tried in the anti-terrorism court of Rawalpindi, officials said.
Officials argue the government could only entertain India’s request if the suspects volunteered themselves to be questioned by the Indians.
“According to information, the suspects have refused to record their statements and provide voice samples to the Indian commission,” a government official told The Express Tribune.
Foreign Office spokesperson, Abdul Basit, confirmed that New Delhi had officially conveyed to Islamabad on December 25 that it wanted to send a commission to Pakistan to quiz Lakhvi and others like Zarar Shah, Abu al Qama, Hamad Amin and Shahid Jamal Riaz. All are currently lodged in the high-security Adiala Jail near Rawalpindi.
“The Indian request will be dealt with according to Pakistan’s law,” said Abdul Basit. Another official said the latest Indian move was nothing more than a ploy to delay accepting Pakistan’s request. “We fear that everything will fall apart on this issue,” he cautioned.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 29th, 2010.