Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Pakistan to allow Indian team to probe 26/11 terror case

Vishwa Mohan

Mar 29, 2011

 

NEW DELHI: Indo-Pak home secretary level talks ended here on Tuesday with Pakistan conveying its readiness, in principle, to entertain a commission from India with respect to the Mumbai terror probe. Dates for the visit of the judicial commission from Pakistan in connection with Mumbai attack trial will be conveyed by India within four to six weeks.

Pakistan showed its willingness for an Indian commission on Mumbai terror probe on the principle of comity and reciprocity. The modalities and composition in this connection will be worked out through diplomatic channels.

On India's demand of getting voice samples of the jailed Mumbai terror attack perpetrators, Pakistani side said that they had already moved high court after their trial court rejected the demand of handing over voice samples to India. They said their high court may soon take a decision and the Pakistani government would act accordingly.

Dates for the visit of the judicial commission from Pakistan in connection with Mumbai attack trial will be conveyed by India within four to six weeks. Indian National Investigating Agency (NIA) and Pakistani Federal Investigating Ageny (FIA) will continue to cooperate in the Mumbai attack probe, both home secretaries agreed. A hotline between Home Secretary of India and Interior Secretary of Pakistan would be set up to facilitate real time information sharing on terror threats.

India and Pakistan also agreed for a liberal visa regime proposal. The guidelines related to visa liberalization programme will be decided soon. So far they have agreed to set up a joint working group to examine the modalities for streamlining the visa procedure/modalities and for giving a final shape to revision of the bilateral visa agreement. The proposal is meant for liberal visa regime for doctors, senior citizens, journalists and businessmen.

Besides, India provided information to Pakistan on the Samjhauta Express blast case probe. Both the countries agreed that after India filed the report in the court, updated information would be shared with the concerned Pakistan authorities.

It was decided that CBI and FIA will schedule a meeting to work out the technical details of moving forward in issues of human trafficking, FICNs, cyber crimes and RCNs. The technical details on Red Corner Notices (RCNs) will include modalities to work on details of deportation of India's most wanted criminals.

Both sides shared the concern of the growing menace of narcotics/drugs and agreed that cooperation between NCB of India and ANF of Pakistan should be enhanced to ensure an effective control on drug trafficking. It was further agreed that Talks between DG, NCB and DG ANF would be held annually. Indian side accepted the invitation for DG NCB to visit Pakistan in May 2011 for talks with DG ANF.

It was agreed that both sides by April 15th would release those civilian prisoners/fishermen who have completed their sentence, whose nationality status has been confirmed by the respective governments and whose travel documents have been received.

India and Pakistan agreed that it was important for them to remain engaged on outstanding issues and henceforth the home/interior secretary level talks would be held bi-annually.

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Asadullah Syed

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