22 September,2009 12:08 PM IST | | PTI
India expects Pakistan to act swiftly against Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, the chief of the banned JuD and alleged Mumbai attack mastermind, External Affairs Minister SM Krishna has said, as he prepared for a key meeting with his Pakistani counterpart here.
"India would be interested to see how Pakistan proceeds with reference to the Mumbai terror attacks. He (Saeed) was the brain behind that attack on India. So I think we expect Pakistan to act swiftly," Krishna said, ahead of his meeting with Shah Mehmood Qureshi on September 27.
Asked about Pakistan having reportedly put Saeed under house arrest, Krishna who arrived here on Monday said, "I think there are conflicting reports. I am waiting for a fuller report of the actual position."
He said India's position has always been consistent that those responsible for the Mumbai attack be brought to justice. "They will have to be dealt with and then brought to justice. I think simply that is the position India has taken and I reiterate that position."
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Krishna and Qureshi are expected to meet on the sidelines of the New York General Assembly on September 27 in the latest high-level contact between the two countries. Foreign Secretaries of the two countries will meet on September 26 to prepare the ground for the key engagement.
India has pressed Pakistan to take action against Saeed and has handed over several dossiers of evidence to Pakistan to enable his prosecution.
Qureshi underlined that he had the mandate from President Asif Ali Zardari to normalise relations with India. "I am here with a constructive mind. I have the instruction from the president to move on. We want to normalise relations with India," he stressed.
Saeed was yesterday placed under house arrest in Lahore for inciting people to wage jehad. Lahore police chief Pervaiz Rathore said Saeed's movements had been restricted in connection with two cases registered against him in Faisalabad city last week for making speeches during which he incited people to wage jehad and sought funds for the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawah.
