India names two Pakistani army officers’ involvement in 26/11.

M.today

New Delhi, Feb.25: A second Pakistan Army Major has also been named by India in the new dossiers that were handed over to Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir during the talks on Thursday with his Indian counterpart Nirupama Rao.

Major Samir Ali is the second Army officer that India says was involved in 26/11, though it’s still not clear whether he’s a serving officer or retired.
 
The other officer named is Major Iqbal. He is the first serving Pakistani Major to be named by India.

India also wants Pakistan to hand over JuD chief Hafiz Saeed and access to Al-Qaida commander Ilyas Kashmiri, the man named by David Headley as his guru.

New Delhi has also asked for the five accused already in Pakistani custody to be handed over in the 26/11 case, along with three suspects, including Muzamil, Abu Hamza, Usman and Abu Kafa.

The dossiers say Pakistan has given sanctuary to 17 Indian Mujahideen and seven Khalistani militants.


India-Pakistan get snappy, all is not well.

"Constructive" was India’s first response after the Foreign-Secretary-level talks ended on Thursday afternoon. The talks had lasted for an hour and a half, longer than many in the government expected. 

But by 6 pm, the verdict was different. "All is not well" said Salman Bashir, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary at a press briefing. The top Pakistani diplomat said that his country did not believe in "cosmetic engagement" and did not want India to "lecture" them by demanding that Pakistan should "do this or that".

At the talks, three dossiers were handed over by India to Pakistan. Home Minister P Chidambaram revealed at NDTV’s Indian of the Year Awards on Wednesday night that the dossiers were ready. (Watch: Chidambaram on India-Pak talks) The big new development: one of those dossiers, focused on 26/11, names a serving Pakistani Major as a key suspect in the attacks against Mumbai. (Read: India names serving Pakistani army officer in 26/11)

After their meeting ended, Bashir and India’s Foreign Secretary, Nirupama Rao, held separate press briefings.

Rao went first. She said that Pakistan needed to take action against 26/11 mastermind Hafeez Saeed and others seen inciting violence against India in public rallies in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir on February 5. Rao stressed repeatedly that terrorism dominated the talks since addressing terror attacks emanating from Pakistan is critical for India.      

Bashir, said that Saeed, on whom India handed over a dossier during the talks, does not speak for the State or government of Pakistan or the people of the country and that talks could not be predicated on one individual. He said the Indian dossier on Saeed given earlier by India was "more of literature than evidence".

Accusing India of portraying Pakistan as the source of terrorism, Bashir said Pakistan does not like to be "sermoned" on terrorism and that they knew how to deal with it. "If you keep saying that Pakistan is a source of all your troubles, I am sorry, it is short-sightedness," he said.

India retaliated by saying it’s not lecturing Pakistan and that its concerns about its security are genuine. 

After Bashir’s aggressive response, government sources said that while the actual meeting had been smooth, Bashir’s press conference was "acrimonious." In a sign of the downturn in mood, government sources said "Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary gets his briefing from Army headquarters, India from a democratic government."