Headlines
US asks Pakistan to keep its pledge on Mumbai attacks
By
Arun KumarWashington, March 14
As a Pakistani court
ordered the release of an alleged mastermind of the Mumbai terrorist
attack, the US asked Pakistan to follow through on its pledge to bring
its perpetrators and sponsors to justice.
The US was "monitoring
reports that an Islamabad High Court judge suspended detention orders
for the alleged Mumbai attack mastermind" Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, State
Department spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters Friday.
"The
Government of Pakistan has pledged its cooperation in bringing the
perpetrators, financiers and sponsors of the Mumbai terrorist attacks to
justice, and we urge Pakistan to follow through on that commitment,"
she said.
"Pakistan is a critical partner in a fight against terrorism," Psaki said.
While
the US "can't speculate on the outcome of an ongoing legal process in
Pakistan" she said according to their information Lakhvi remained in
prison for now.
"Well, for now, let me also reiterate he remains
in prison. Obviously, there's a range of ways that we share information.
I'm not going to speak to that from the podium," Psaki said.
Asked
how the Islamabad court's order for the release of Lakhvi would impact
ongoing talks between India and Pakistan, she said: "Well, certainly, we
support ongoing dialogue. I'm not going to speak to how it will impact
talks between two other countries."
The spokesperson did not have
a comment on reports that Pakistan had summoned an Indian diplomat to
protest over India's inaction on 2007 Samjhauta Express bombing in which
more than 50 Pakistanis were burnt alive saying she didn't "have any
information on this."
India Friday summoned the Pakistan envoy in
New Delhi to convey its outrage over the Islamabad court's order saying
the release of a person designated as international terrorist by the
United Nations will pose a threat that cannot be ignored.
Lakhvi
is accused of masterminding the November 26, 2008 Mumbai terror attacks
in which 166 people, including six Americans, were killed and over 600
wounded.
(Arun Kumar can be contacted at [email protected])