The Hindu : Front Page : Manmohan's assurance to Shaukat Aziz

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 20, 2007
ePaper

Front Page

Front Page

Manmohan's assurance to Shaukat Aziz

Amit Baruah

NEW DELHI : India will do everything possible to punish the perpetrators of the "heinous" terrorist act on the Samjhauta Express, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told his Pakistani counterpart Shaukat Aziz in a telephone conversation on Monday.

According to an official statement of the conversation: ``The focus at this time is on the humanitarian aspect; the Prime Minister conveyed his condolences to the Pakistani victims of this tragedy, and indicated the steps taken to provide all possible assistance to the injured and bereaved."

Horrendous act

Nirupama Subramanian writes from Islamabad:

Condemning the "horrendous act of terrorism," Pakistan said such attacks would not diminish its resolve to push ahead with the peace process. President Pervez Musharraf condemned the attack as a "heinous crime" and condoled the families of the victims, most of whom were Pakistanis.

"Such "wanton acts of terrorism will only further strengthen the resolve to attain the mutually desired objective" of India-Pakistan peace, he said.

He underscored the need for the leadership in both countries to "move forward undeterred" in the quest for a lasting peace in the region.

"We will not allow elements which want to sabotage the ongoing peace process and succeed in their nefarious designs," he said and expressed the hope that India would take all measures to bring the perpetrators to book.