UN must ensure Pakistan keeps promise: Mukherjee

NEW DELHI (Agencies) - The UN must pressure Islamabad into ensuring the perpetrators of November 26 Mumbai attacks are bought to justice and Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has been given enough evidence linking Pakistani nationals to the carnage, Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Friday.
"I had detailed discussions with him in the context of the terror attacks and the material we have given to Pakistan," Mukherjee told reporters here, referring to his meeting with the UN chief Thursday.
"I requested the secretary general to look into these aspects and ensure that Pakistan fully implements its own commitments which it has given to India and the international community several times," the minister added.
Mukherjee had called on the UN chief in New Delhi on Thursday to discuss a host of issues such as international terrorism and the Mumbai strikes, apart from some regional issues like violence in Afghanistan and the situation in Myanmar. He also shared the evidence linking Pakistani nationals to the Mumbai atrocity and expressed mounting anger in India over Islamabad's prevarication in dealing with the perpetrators of the carnage.
Speaking to reporters after his talks with Mukherjee, Ban also said that he had spoken to Pakistan Prime Minister Gilani during his Islamabad visit urging full investigation into the issue.
The UN chief said the Pakistani leaders were also told to continue to engage in the composite dialogue with India with all sincerity. "This is what the UN and international community wants."
Meanwhile, an ever belligerent BJP for the first time looks a little wary of direct action against Pakistan for supporting terror. BJP party president Rajnath Singh in his inaugural address at the national executive has said that the war should not be abused by the Congress-led government to fulfil political objectives. Especially with elections just weeks away, the BJP fears that any surgical strike against Pakistan at this moment would automatically result in political mobilisation in favour of the Congress party.