With the India-Pakistan relations poised for what could be a significant change, Pakistan on Tuesday agreed to allow an Indian commission to visit the country in connection with 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case probe there.
The two sides also agreed to set up a hotline for sharing real-time information on terrorists and terror threats. The news comes a day before Pakistan PM Yousuf Raza Gilani is due in India to attend the World Cup cricket semi-final between the two sides.
According a joint statement issued after the home secretaries of the two countries ended their two-day talks here, Pakistan agreed to cooperate with India on the probe into the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. Both sides also agreed to set up a hotline between the home secretary of India and the interior secretary of Pakistan to facilitate real-time information sharing with respect to terrorist threats. The statement was issued at the end of the two days of talks between home secretary GK Pillai and his Pakistani counterpart Chaudhry Qamar Zaman who met in New Delhi to discuss varied issues, including the trial of Mumbai terror suspects in Pakistan, the Samjhauta Express blasts probe, easing of visa norms, narcotics control and the smuggling of fake Indian currency notes.
It has been decided that a team of Indian investigators would be allowed to visit Pakistan and question the 2008 suspects being prosecuted there. India’s National Investigative Agency (NIA) can now quiz seven Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists?including its leaders Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Abu al-Qama and Zarar Shah?who allegedly masterminded the Mumbai carnage. The modalities and dates of the team’s visit would be decided later.
The meeting between Pillai-Zaman is seen as a first step towards re-initiating a peace process stalled after 10 Pakistani terrorists slaughtered 166 people in Mumbai.