Following is the text of the statement by the Union
Home Minister in Lok Sabha/ Rajya Sabha on Dec.17, 2012 on the visit of the
Interior Minister of Pakistan to India on December 14-16,2012:-
The
Interior Minister of Pakistan, Shri Rehman Malik visited New Delhi on 14 – 16
December, 2012. This visit was in
response to the mutual invitation extended when we met on the sidelines of the
SAARC Interior Ministers’ meeting in Maldives on September 26, 2012. The invitation was both in response to Shri
Malik’s desire to visit India and so also to continue with the overall strategy
to continue engaging Pakistan.
The
House may recall that the India-Pakistan dialogue commenced in 2004 and has
eight subjects, one of which is Terrorism and Drug Trafficking, which with
other allied subjects, is discussed at the Home Secretary (HS) Level Talks with
Pakistan.
Due to the Mumbai terror attacks in
November, 2008, the HS Level Talks were not held in 2009 and 2010 – as a
conscious decision by Government of India.
The
dialogue was resumed in 2011 and the Indo-Pak HS level Talks of the “resumed
dialogue” were held in New Delhi on 28-29th March, 2011 and
subsequently at Islamabad on 24-25 May, 2012.
In
the Home Ministry led bilateral interactions – the Agenda has focused on:-
i)
Pakistan’s continued support
to terrorism and operation of terrorist camps in PoK.
ii)
The prosecution and trial of
the key masterminds and conspirators of the Mumbai Terror Attack of 26.11.2008.
iii)
Bringing fugitives of the
Mumbai bomb blasts of 1993 to justice.
iv) Issues
of firing across the Line of Control as well as international borders.
v) Terrorist financing and fake currency
notes.
vi) Humanitarian Issues with respect to
Fishermen and civilian prisoners
and Indian POWs in Pakistan, Visa and Consular issues.
vii) Narcotics and drugs trafficking in
particular the Signing and
ratification of the MoU between India and Pakistan.
viii) The need to conclude the MLAT and
Extradition Treaty, the drafts of which have already been shared with Pakistan.
The
discussions also include separate technical Groups/JWG’s on Visas, fishermen,
CBI-Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), NIA-FIA, and the Judicial Committee.
The
official visit commenced with the announcement of the operationalization of the
new Visa Agreement which was signed during the visit of the External Affairs
Minister to Islamabad on 8th September, 2012. The new Agreement
introduces several liberalized features in the visa regime, including increase
in the number of permissible places to visit to five (from the earlier three
places) under the Visitor Visa category, long term visa for upto two years for
persons above 65 years and for nationals of one country married to nationals of
the other country as well as their children below 12 years. It introduces Visa on Arrival at Attari/Wagah
Check Posts for persons more than 65 years old, and Group Tourist Visa for
travel in groups between ten to fifty members organized by approved tour
operators. The Agreement provides for grant of business visa with exemption
from police reporting for businesspersons with annual income above Pak Rs.5
million or equivalent, or annual turnover above Pak Rs.30 million or
equivalent. The Visa on Arrival will be operationalized from 15th
January 2013 and the Group Tourist Visa scheme will become effective from 15th
March, 2013.
In
the talks which followed, I made it clear that the key issues in the mind of
the Indian Govt. & our public is the issue of bringing the guilty of the
Mumbai Terror Attacks to justice. I pointed out that many of the real
mastermind and conspirators as well as key participants in the Mumbai Terror
Attacks had not yet been charge sheeted.
In this context I specially mentioned the fact that our investigation
have shown that one Hafiz Saeed was one of the Mastermind of the 26/11 attack
conspiracy and Pakistan has yet to take effective action to charge him. I reiterated the value of the voice samples
for establishing the identity of those who were audacious to be caught on tape
while directing the attackers. I also emphasized the need to respond to the
Lette Rogatories sent to Pakistan pursuant to the investigation by the NIA.
With
regard to the Judicial Commission’s visit to
India to complete the “cross-examination” of the 4 witnesses, we had already
conveyed our in principle approval. We
have also emphasized to the Pakistan side the need to ensure that the revised
terms of Reference/agreement need to be worked out carefully in consultation
with the senior Law Officers of both sides so that this time there are no legal
lacunae. Accordingly, it was agreed
that a team from India will visit Pakistan in this week to settle this document
so that the Judicial Commission may come at the earliest.
I
then took up the issue of non-compliance/ execution of long pending Red Notices
against the absconders of the Mumbai Blast case of 1993 – in which more than
400 people were killed – being a blot on our bilateral cooperation in bringing
fugitives from law to justice. The D-
Company operatives – led by Dawood Ibrahim still evade arrest. International
community has now universally acknowledged the danger this criminal-terrorist
groups poses. Recently, the US
designated Dawood Ibrahim as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist and
another person of the same group as a Drug kingpin. Pakistan has to ensure full cooperation in
the capture of these absconders in right earnest.
The
Pakistan Minister was informed that in 2012 we saw concerted attempts by
terrorists to infiltrate across the Line of Control in J&K and these have
occurred across several sectors of the Line of Control. Besides, there have been a large number of
cases of unprovoked violations of the ceasefire. Our inputs indicate that the
number of terrorist camps and launching pads in PoK remain intact. Thus, we are yet to see effective action on
ground.
I
highlighted the fact of the increasing number of consignments of fake Indian
Currency notes being seized in India and by other countries from individuals
coming from Pakistan. This indicated
that the production and circulation of FICN is growing in Pakistan, direct or
indirect patronage of influential elements/groups in Pakistan cannot be ruled
out.
Pakistan’s
attention was drawn to the disturbing increase in the attempts to push drugs
across the Punjab border, including through railway cargo wagons. The need to ensure effective counter measures
on the Pakistan side was noted by the Pakistan side.
The
work done by the Judicial Committee on Prisoners for their release,
repatriation and humane treatment was reviewed and attention was drawn to the
issue of missing Defence personnel and POW’s.
I reiterated the proposal made by India earlier that the mandate of this
Judicial Committee could be extended to also cover missing Defence personnel
and POWs.
The
issue of prompt return of the fishermen’s boats and so also on working out the
modalities for return of inadvertent fishermen crossers was discussed in detail
as these are humanitarian issues affecting the livelihood of poor and marginal
fishermen.
I
commended the mercy petition by the family of Sarabjeet Singh, who has been
imprisoned now for more than 20 years.
The
Pakistan side raised the issue of progress of investigations in the Samjhauta
Express Blast. NIA updated the FIA. It was also clearly stated that the
progress of Samjhauta investigation could not be equated to the Mumbai
Terrorist Attacks.
In
the official level follow up discussions, the Home Ministry and NIA officers
met their FIA & Interior Ministry counterparts. The Indian side outlined
the further action/steps needed by the Pakistan side to ensure that the
evidence available in Pakistan is gathered by FIA and that all conspirators of
the Mumbai Terrorist Attack as well as of the wider conspiracy to cause
terrorist attacks to inflict mass casualties in India, are brought to justice.
In
conclusion, the following immediate next steps/outcomes, were agreed to:
(a)
India delegation will visit
Pakistan in this week to settle the revised terms of agreement so as to
facilitate an early visit of the Judicial Commission from Pakistan –
preferably- immediately after the Courts reopen in January, 2013 and the
convenience and Orders of the respective Judicial forums is obtained.
(b)
MHA, NIA & NCB team will
visit Pakistan in January 2013 to operationalize the “Task Force” on
counterfeiting and drugs trafficking.
(c)
That the Home Secretaries
would endeavor to meet in the first quarter of 2013 to review progress.
The
Interior Minister also called on the Hon’ble Prime Minister & Hon’ble
Leader of Opposition Smt. Sushma Swaraj.
Thus
to conclude, the emphasis was that the continuing peace process, Confidence
Building Measures (CBMs) and enhanced people-to-people contacts between the two
countries have to proceed in an atmosphere free of terrorism and violence. In this context, the need for bringing guilty
of the Mumbai terror attack to justice was emphasized as being of paramount
importance. On a larger plane, it was stated that terrorism is affecting all
aspects of the relationship and that we must deal with this menace effectively.
Mr. Rehman Malik, Interior Minister of
Pakistan has been telling us repeatedly that he had arrested Mr. Hafiz Saeed
thrice and that on each occasion, he was let off by the courts for lack of
evidence. We had been given to
understand by the Interior Minister of Pakistan that Mr. Hafiz Saeed had been
arrested on the charges of being a part of the conspiracy for the 26/11 Mumbai
terror attacks. During my talks with
him, he stated that if we desire, he will give us the FIRs and the Judgements
pertaining to the three occasions when Hafiz Saeed was arrested and let off by
the courts. When we pursued this matter,
they have given us papers pertaining to the detentions of Shri Hafiz Saeed in
2002 and 2009. From the papers given to
us, it is clear that the detentions of Shri Hafiz Saeed in the aforesaid cases
were for other reasons and not for his role as a conspirator in the 26/11
Mumbai terror attacks. Therefore, I can
only say that Mr. Rehman Malik appears to have been misinformed in the matter.
