Click to play videoNew Delhi: India is considering all options against Pakistan to make it act against perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said.
"Pakistan has been contradicting its statements. Enough evidence has been given to Pakistan. Pakistan must cooperate and not contradict us. Mere talk is not enough. Pakistan has to act," said Mukherjee at a business chamber conference in Kolkata on Sunday.
"Not once, twice or thrice but as many as 10 times we have given evidences. Pakistan must cooperate. No question of mere denial. You will be caught in your denial then."
"Instead of contradiction and denial, they will have to take action," said Mukherjee. This is the third time in the past one week that Mukherjee has faulted Pakistan for allegedly failing to act against terrorist groups operating in its territory against India.
Mukherjee accused Pakistan of making contradictory statements on Maulana Masood Azhar, chief of the banned militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad.
"(That) Masood Azhar was under house arrest was the observation of the Pakistan Defence minister. But after that contradictory statements are emanating from the country. Sometimes it is said he is not seen. Sometimes it is said that he is not available in Pakistan."
''We cannot chase terrorists in other states. We are requesting that you to fulfil your commitments. We want your words to be followed by action—we are asking for nothing more, nothing less,'' said Mukherjee.
On Saturday, Mukherjee doubted whether Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari was in control of his country. "The pretence of democracy is not equivalent to democratisation. We do not believe that it is for us to advocate how other countries should be governed but we most certainly like to know whom we should deal with vis-à-vis another government. In other words who runs the show?" said Mukherjee.
Earlier on Friday, Mukherjee said in Gangtok that India was keeping all options open to defend itself. "Terrorism remains a scourge for our region. If a country cannot keep the assurances that it has given, then it obliges us to consider the entire range of options that exist to protect our interests and people from this menace," he said.
Pakistan, under intense international pressure, has moved against the militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba, which allegedly trained the 10 terrorists who attacked Mumbai, and its front Jamaat-ud-Dawa.
The Pakistan government says 53 people are in custody, including Lashkar's leader, Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, and two men accused by India of being key plotters of the Mumbai carnage.
India alleges the crackdown is cosmetic and the two groups can easily operate by changing their names and addresses.
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