Click to play videoNew Delhi: Pakistan's Ambassador to the United Nations, Abdullah Hussain Haroon said that India and Pakistan must go in for higher level talks to resolve the conflict that has arisen out of the investigations into the Mumbai terror attacks.
India, on Wednesday pressed the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to call for a ban on the Pakistan-based Jamat-ud-Dawa which allegedly is behind Mumbai terror strikes.
The Mumbai terror attacks dominated the proceedings of the special meeting of the UN Security Council Tuesday, wherein member nations not only condemned the heinous attack, but also underlined the need to bring those responsible for it to justice.
India maintains that the so called charity organisation Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) is but a front organisation for the outlawed terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), which the UN banned in 2002 .
Mumbai Crime Branch, in its investigations of the recent terror strike, has confirmed that the Lashkar's head Zaki-ur-Rehman is the master mind of the carnage. The other key players are Abu Hamza Kahafa and Hafiz Sayeed.
But Pakistan reacted to the demand by saying that it would do so only after completing investigations. Surprisingly, sources also report the Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi warning of a war in the sub-continent.
The Pakistani civil society, however appears to be emerging from its defensive shell. Islamabad-based military analyst Ayesha Siddiqui said, “We have seen Hafiz Sayeed on different television networks. Few people, the government claims are being arrested but the heads are still there. Mixed signals continue to be going out from Islamabad, which will invoke greater pressure.”
CNN-IBN spoke to Pakistan's Ambassador to the United Nations, Abdullah Hussain Haroon. Speaking from New York, the Pakistani Ambassador to UN spoke of Pakistan's stand on the JuD.
On being asked what's stopping Pakistan from banning the Jamat-ud-Dawa outright, Ambassador Haroon said, "I think we have to view this in the President's way of thinking. The President of Pakistan has very clearly stated that he is more than willing to take the subject up and to speak to the people of Pakistan on this subject. But he requires co-ordination, cooperation and information from the Indians. I think India must give its details and share its intelligence with the President of Pakistan and the people of Pakistan and then give him the opportunity to decide what is to be done next. And you will find he won't be wanting."
But there are certain quarters which say that while the proposal to ban the organisation may be pending in UN security council, banning it and questioning the office bearers can be done in Pakistan if it sincerely believes in stopping the reign of terror.
"If you ask Islamabad that question, you will find out that they have taken certain actions. It is not for me to say what those actions are. But I can tell you on behalf of the government of Pakistan that they are taking this very seriously and they are going to expect from India all the cooperation so that they can get to the bottom of this," said Ambassador Haroon.
While Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has expressed that his country will consider banning the Jamat-ud-Dawa if the United Nations does the first move, India wants to know if underworld Don Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar will be handed over to India too.
The Ambassador deflected that very deftly.
"I haven't seen the name of Dawood Ibrahim emerge in this fiasco. The statement was made in relation to the Mumbai incidents. If proof is given and we are given consular access to the person who is reportedly saying that he is from Pakistan, then we can ascertain and help in the matter. All I can say is that President Zardari, Prime Minister Gilani and the Pakistani government are willing to hear and take cognizance of whatever is put forward in this issue," Haroon added.
Pakistan has reportedly imposed house arrest on certain leaders who have been named as key players in terror, by investigators in India. Pakistan's move has not satisfied skeptics who believe that the suspects will walk away free soon.
"I think the important thing is that there is a need to coming closer at the moment. President Zardari extended a hand to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and I think this needs to be developed much further. Pakistan is willing on higher levels talks on the issue. All these matters can surely be resolved by sitting across the tables at the highest levels. I think the time has come for India and Pakistan to talk more openly with each other," emphasised Ambassador Haroon.
Haroon said that Pakistan had not only proposed a joint investigation of the attacks but had offered to send to India "the highest level possible delegation from Pakistan to sort out these affairs."
Meanwhile, India's Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed urged the UN Security Council to help punish anyone responsible for the deadly attacks in Mumbai by adding them to the UN terrorism list.
Ahamed had referred to the terror machine that such organisations create. He reiterated that India has had experience of such machines which need to be eliminated. He insisted on a firm action to break the nexus between the state (or elements within the state) and the terror outfits.
Ahamed had also called for groups or individuals that indoctrinate, organise, plan and finance terror to be uprooted along with other measures.
The US reiterated that countries should deny safe haven to terrorists. Russian Ambassasor Vitaly I Churkin, also said that it was "important to expose and neutralise terrorist networks, to block financial flows and to eliminate safe havens".
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice too came down hard on the terror outfits and their nefarious designs.
Rice had said that those who want to disrupt good relations between India and Pakistan were at root, and that these non-state actors clearly used Pakistani territory. Rice continued to tell the CBS radio in the interview that there is reason for Pakistan to take up responsibility to act.
However, Pakistan on Wednesday took a defensive stand with National Security Advisor (NSA) Mahmud Ali Durrani stating that action would be taken against the Jamat-ud-Dawa if it was found guilty of terrorist activity after investigations were over and not because India said so.
(With inputs from agencies)
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