Pak Mumbai trial from next week

ISLAMABAD - The government announced on Saturday that the trial of five suspects arrested for their alleged
involvement in Mumbai attacks on November 26, 2008, would commence next week and said that India was
responsible for the delay in investigations.
Addressing a Press briefing after his meeting with Acting Indian High Commissioner, Interior Minister Rehman
Malik rejected the impression that Pakistan was delaying the investigations of the Mumbai attacks and said that
India took 90 days to complete the investigations and submit challan, while Pakistan submitted it just in 76 days.
The foreign office also handed over a Pakistani dossier on Mumbai attacks to the Indian High Commission here.
The Acting High Commissioner of India in Islamabad was called to the foreign office by Director General (South
Asia) and a dossier pertaining to probe into Mumbai attacks was handed over to him. Separately, India has
been asked to provide further evidence required for legal and judicial process, said the Foreign Office
Spokesman Abdul Basit.
Earlier, the Interior Minister told the journalists that the government of Pakistan took the issue very seriously right
after the Mumbai Attack and ensured unconditional support to New Delhi. He added that Pakistani intelligence
agencies worked hard to dig out the case and collect evidences and now no one could say that Pakistan was
not conducting the investigations seriously.
He said Pakistan had completed the investigations of the five arrested suspects and their trial would commence
from next week, however, he added that further investigations would continue.
Malik said that in the dossier handed over to Indian High Commission, Islamabad had asked New Delhi some
question about Mumbai carnage. He also stressed on the investigation of Samjhota Express incident in which a
number of Pakistanis were killed, adding its investigations were as important as Mumbai carnage.
Giving details, Malik said that so far five accused had been arrested while 13 others had been declared as
proclaimed offenders. The arrested accused included Zakiur Rehman, the mastermind of the attack, Hamid
Amin, Mazhar Iqbal, facilitators, Abdul Wajid, facilitator and an expert of computer network, and Shahid Jamil
Riaz.
He added that proclaimed offenders included Muhammad Amjad Khan, Iftikhar Ali, Shahid Ghafoor, Abdul
Rehman, Muhammad Usman, Atiqur Rehman, Muhammad Mushtaq, Muhammad Naeem, Abdul Shakoor,
Muhammad Shabbir and Shakeel.
The minister urged the media and the people to help the government for the arrest of those proclaimed
offenders. He appreciated the performance of Pakistani investigation team. He said that Pakistan was serious
and taking all steps to fight terrorism. He applauded the efforts of Pakistani forces and said that about 15,000
Pakistani citizens had lost their lives in the war on terror. I assure that we are fighting against terrorists with full
zeal and will not allow anybody to use our soil for terrorist activities, he added.
To a query, the minister said that Islamabad believed in dialogue, peace and cooperation with the neighbouring
countries, adding that Pakistan would welcome the talks with India. He reiterated that Pakistan was doing its
best to bring the culprits of Mumbai attack to justice.
According to sources in Interior Ministry, Pakistan has asked India to provide the details about the two other
accused of the attack, the communication system used by the attackers and the statements of some Indian
officers for further investigations and trial.