India ready to allow Pak to try fugitives

Softening its stand that Pakistan should hand over perpetrators of Mumbai attacks and other fugitives, India has said it will have no objection if they are put through "fair trial" in that country itself.

"It would be ideal if they (Pakistan) can hand over the fugitives from India to us. If that is not possible, there should at least be a fair trial of these fugitives in Pakistan," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told Aaj Tak channel.

He said it should not be a "mock trial" but a "transparent and demonstrated" one. His statement marks softening of India's position that the fugitives should be handed over to face "Indian justice".

Pakistan has all through said that it will not hand over any of the suspects to India and would, if needed, try them there.

Mukherjee on Wednesday hoped Pakistan would hand over the "fugitives of Indian law", notwithstanding Islamabad's refusal to do so, and asked the world community to build pressure on Pakistan in a "concerted" manner to ensure that perpetrators of Mumbai attacks are brought to justice.

India has been maintaining that it does not have faith in the Pakistani judicial system as the Zardari government itself does not have trust in it which was reflected by its demand for UN probe into the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.

Significantly, Mukherjee's changed stand comes close on the heels of Britain saying that the fugitives need not be handed over to India and that they could be tried in Pakistan itself.