Indian PM Urges Pakistan to Act Swiftly to Mumbai Attacks

New Delhi
17 January 2009
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh speaks at a international nuclear disarmament conference, 09 Jun 2008
India's prime minister is ratcheting up pressure on Pakistan to swiftly act against suspected terrorists on its soil. Speaking Saturday evening at the site of one of last November's attacks on Mumbai, Manmohan Singh called for Islamabad to fully disclose all facts about the siege and extradite those responsible to India.

Expressing Indian frustration over perceived foot-dragging by Islamabad since the terror attack on Mumbai, India's prime minister says he expects Pakistan to disclose all the known facts, as promised, within a few days "without attempts at denial, diversion or obfuscation."

Manmohan Singh made the remark at the Trident Oberoi hotel in Mumbai, one of the sites where terrorists, who India says all came from Pakistan, struck in late November.

The Indian prime minister says Pakistan has admitted the lone surviving gunman came from its soil. "We expect Pakistan to take all the consequent next steps against all those who have planned, organized and executed these horrific crimes," he said.

Mr. Singh was speaking to businessmen at an awards function which had been scheduled after the Mumbai attacks. He added Pakistan must show it is sincere in its words and "completely shut down" terror groups operating on its soil and show through action it will not tolerate further such assaults on the civilized norms of behavior.

The 60-hour siege of Mumbai left at least 170 people dead and was believed to be carried out by ten heavily armed gunmen who came by boat from Pakistan. The attackers hit luxury hotels, a major train station, hospitals, a popular cafe and a Jewish outreach center.

Earlier this month India gave Pakistan evidence about the attacks collected from interrogations, seized weapons and communications data.

In Islamabad on Saturday, Rehman Malik, an adviser to the prime minister, said the Pakistani government expects to conclude its inquiry within 10 days. He told reporters investigators are looking at the information handed over by India and gathered independently.

Pakistan's government has detained a number of people linked to the Lashkar-e-Taiba organization, which India blames for the assault on Mumbai. But Pakistan has bristled in response to comments made by officials here that state agencies were involved in training the terrorists and planning the attack.

The United States and other countries have shuttled diplomats between New Delhi and Islamabad, attempting to ward off any possibility of tensions escalating into another war between the nuclear-armed neighbors.