New Delhi:
As questions are raised about America's commitment to telling the whole truth, Shashi Tharoor has said India will not let down its guard on suspected 26/11 operative David Coleman Headley.
More than two months after Headley was arrested in Chicago, India's intelligence services are divided on whether they were told the whole truth about the Lashkar-e-Taiba operative's clandestine operations.
Many in the intelligence services suspect that the United States is less than committed to letting the whole truth be known. Minister of State for External Affairs, Shashi Tharoor said the matter was being pursued.
"As far as we are concerned we are pursuing what we need to do. Our colleagues in Home Ministry are working very hard in this dossier. We are doing our part in our ministry and a far as we are concerned, no one is letting it slip off the radar screen. This issue matters to us. We want to see everyone involved in 26/11 to be brought to justice. We are not to let anyone off the hook and we are not letting down our guard. We will come to things at the right time in the right way. But as I said, the ministries concerned are dealing very seriously with this issue," Tharoor said.
India today also made it clear that talks cannot take place with Pakistan till it shows seriousness about acting against perpetrators of 26/11 attacks and dismantling of terror infrastructure.
"Our position has been very clear and consistent. We have asked Pakistan to take two steps -- one, to bring perpetrators of Mumbai attacks to justice and to ensure that terror structures in Pakistan used against our country should be dismantled," Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor told reporters here.
"But we have not seen progress in either of these two steps. We would like them to take steps on these two fronts. Until that action takes place we are not in a position to resume composite dialogue," he said.
"We can certainly talk to Pakistan but then they should show us they are serious," the minister said.
His comments came against the backdrop of remarks by Pakistani High Commissioner Shahid Malik that India was not implementing the "agreement" reached at Sharm-el-Shaikh about delinking dialogue from action against terrorism.
Tharoor noted that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had made it very clear that if Pakistan takes the first step, India would meet it "more than the half way".
"That first step has not been taken yet," Tharoor said. "We want them to take action. We believe there is a great deal to be done. So far, Pakistan has not done it."
More than two months after Headley was arrested in Chicago, India's intelligence services are divided on whether they were told the whole truth about the Lashkar-e-Taiba operative's clandestine operations.
Many in the intelligence services suspect that the United States is less than committed to letting the whole truth be known. Minister of State for External Affairs, Shashi Tharoor said the matter was being pursued.
"As far as we are concerned we are pursuing what we need to do. Our colleagues in Home Ministry are working very hard in this dossier. We are doing our part in our ministry and a far as we are concerned, no one is letting it slip off the radar screen. This issue matters to us. We want to see everyone involved in 26/11 to be brought to justice. We are not to let anyone off the hook and we are not letting down our guard. We will come to things at the right time in the right way. But as I said, the ministries concerned are dealing very seriously with this issue," Tharoor said.
India today also made it clear that talks cannot take place with Pakistan till it shows seriousness about acting against perpetrators of 26/11 attacks and dismantling of terror infrastructure.
"Our position has been very clear and consistent. We have asked Pakistan to take two steps -- one, to bring perpetrators of Mumbai attacks to justice and to ensure that terror structures in Pakistan used against our country should be dismantled," Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor told reporters here.
"But we have not seen progress in either of these two steps. We would like them to take steps on these two fronts. Until that action takes place we are not in a position to resume composite dialogue," he said.
"We can certainly talk to Pakistan but then they should show us they are serious," the minister said.
His comments came against the backdrop of remarks by Pakistani High Commissioner Shahid Malik that India was not implementing the "agreement" reached at Sharm-el-Shaikh about delinking dialogue from action against terrorism.
Tharoor noted that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had made it very clear that if Pakistan takes the first step, India would meet it "more than the half way".
"That first step has not been taken yet," Tharoor said. "We want them to take action. We believe there is a great deal to be done. So far, Pakistan has not done it."
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