The Hindu : Front Page : India to seek data on terror suspects

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 22, 2007
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India to seek data on terror suspects

Sandeep Dikshit

Anti-terror mechanism meet today

India believes persons of Pakistan origin are involved in many blasts
Climate appears to be favourable for New Delhi

NEW DELHI: India and Pakistan are to discuss the modalities for exchanging information on terrorist acts in each other’s countries. The issue will come up at the second meeting of the anti-terror mechanism (ATM) to be held here on Monday, according to official sources.

New Delhi wants proactive assistance from Islamabad to help trace Pakistan nationals suspected of having had a role in terror attacks in India and bring them to book. It feels a good beginning has been made with the setting up of the ATM in March this year, and if meetings take place on a quarterly basis, the beginning of an institutional mechanism to exchange credible information will soon be in sight.

Although the maiden ATM meeting resolved to meet every quarter, the second interaction will be taking place after seven months. India is of the opinion that the delay was more because of internal troubles in Pakistan.

Officially, Pakistan maintains that the previous official nominated for the talks had retired and his replacement took time.

This time India believes the climate is favourable for discussing the contours of an information exchange mechanism as the meeting comes close on the heels of Friday’s bomb blasts in Karachi — an attempt to assassinate the former Pakistan Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto.

India will also seek to know the progress made in identifying a person suspected of having had a role in the Samjhauta Express bombing.

Previous meeting

At the previous ATM meeting, India handed over a photograph of the person, suspected to be a Pakistani national. India also believes persons of Pakistani origin are involved in a string of blasts that rocked several cities and killed or maimed civilians. This belief is backed by interrogation records of suspected militants who are understood to have “confessed” to the Pakistani link behind a few of the attacks.

The Indian side’s quest for Pakistan’s assistance in this regard is backed by an agreement at the previous meeting that whenever possible both sides would seek and receive information about terror attacks.

The two sides also agreed to immediately get in touch with one another in case either required urgent information on any terrorist issue.

The Indian delegation will be led by Additional Secretary (International Organisations) in the Ministry of External Affairs K.C. Singh while the Pakistan team will be headed by his counterpart Khalid Aziz Babar.

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