Interior Minister Rehman Malik, who reached New Delhi on Friday, said that he has come to India to take the peace process forward with the country.
Malik condemned terrorism and said that Pakistan doesn’t want a repeat of attacks like 26/11 in India.
He, however, said that Pakistan cannot act against Hafiz Saeed – the alleged mastermind of Mumbai terror attacks – because it does not have evidence against him. Malik said that Ajmal Kasab’s statement was not enough for Pakistan to arrest Saeed. Kasab, the lone surviving gunman of the Mumbai terror attacks, was executed at a Pune jail on November 21.
“On terrorism, Malik said non-state actors have played havoc with ties between India and Pakistan…We have categorically stated that Pakistan and India have to respect court orders (in Mumbai attack cases),” said Rehman on his arrival at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi.
Malik said that Pakistan has also been a victim of terrorism and therefore it understands the pain of the families of terror victims. “Pakistan has lost 40,000 innocent people to terrorism. I want to pay condolences to the families who suffered due to terrorism. India has also suffered due to terrorism. Pakistan and India have to be friends,” insisted the minister.
Talking about relationship between the two countries since the Mumbai terror attacks, Malik said it has improved with time. “Situation has changed for the last five years. Our achievement is that we have agreed for a new visa policy. This will help increasing interaction between the people of two countries,” he said. Malik described the visa accord as a gift from the leadership of both countries to future generations as peace and stability between the two sides would usher in a new era of progress and development.
Malik claimed his visit to India was a “victory for peace and those who wanted to see an improvement in Pakistan-India relations”. He said that during his visit, he would give message to the world that Pakistan and India are peace-loving nations that believe in coexistence and want to live as peaceful neighbours.
