External affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee has said that there is no question of ??dilution of our demand for extradition?? of the suspects wanted for the Mumbai attack and other terrorist activities.
Denying that the government has softened its stand on the issue of asking Pakistan to extradite the masterminds of the Mumbai carnage, Mukherjee said, ??Perpetrators must face Indian justice.?? The minister, for the first time, also made it clear that Islamabad should have no legal issues in handing over those behind terrorism in India, and cited the 1972 Extradition Act of Pakistan, which provides for transfer of persons suspected of committing crimes in countries with which Pakistan has no extradition treaty. ??The Saarc convention on terrorism has the same intent. And such provisions are there in international instruments,?? he said.
??There is no question of dilution of our demand for extradition.?? New Delhi?s tough stance came a day after news channels on Thursday reported that Mukherjee?s remarks on the matter were seen as a shift in New Delhi’s stance. ??We have never given up the demand that perpetrators of the terror acts should be handed over to India. There is no question of that we have given up that demand or we have climbed down,?? he said.
??It would be ideal if they 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,?? Mukherjee had told a news channel on Thursday. ??It should not be a mock trial. It should be transparent and demonstrated.??
The minister also asked Pakistan to undertake a ??full investigation?? into Mumbai attacks in a ??sincere??, ??transparent?? and ??verifiable?? manner to unveil the ??full conspiracy?? into the terror strikes. ??The fact that dastardly terror crimes have been committed in India, therefore the perpetrators must face Indian justice. This is the situation as these things are not mutually exclusive,?? he said.
Though there is no extradition treaty between the two countries, New Delhi has maintained that lack of such a treaty can?t be an excuse as there are many international instruments under which criminals can be extradited. India has also asked Pak to hand over 40 fugitives wanted in various terrorist activities in India, including the Mumbai attacks, in which over 170 people were killed.
