Pakistan tells India to speed up Samjhota Express investigations

• Pakistan Foreign Office Spokesperson Tasneem Aslam says it is necessary that the outcome of these investigations be shared with Pakistan at the earliest
• India’s Ministry of External Affairs summons Pakistan’s Deputy High Commissioner Mansoor Ahmed Khan to lodge protest against delay in Mumbai attack trial in Pakistan

Pakistan asked India on Friday to expedite the trial process of the Samjhota Express attack as India summoned Pakistan’s deputy high commissioner to New Delhi to lodge a protest against the latest adjournment of the 26/11 Mumbai attack trial in Pakistan. The diplomatic protests were lodged ahead of the foreign secretary-level talks scheduled between the two countries next month.

According to Pakistan Foreign Office (FO) Spokeswoman Tasneem Aslam, Indian Deputy High Commissioner Gopal Baghlay was called for a meeting with South Asia director general at the FO. During the Indian official’s visit, Pakistani authorities called upon the Indian government to expedite the trial process of 2007 Samjhota Express attack in India that killed nearly 70 people, mostly Pakistani civilians.

Earlier, during a press briefing on July 17, Tasneem had said that the Mumbai attack trial was taking its legal course and efforts were being made for its early conclusion but also drew attention to the lack of progress in the case relating to the 2007 Samjhota train attack in India in which 70 people, mostly Pakistanis, were killed.

She said that it was necessary that the outcome of these investigations be shared with Pakistan at the earliest.

The train was carrying 757 passengers, including 553 Pakistanis, from New Delhi to Lahore via Attari when it was targeted by two low-intensity improvised incendiary devices which caused the carriages to explode near the Shiva village in India’s Panipat District.

Meanwhile, a Times of India report states that India’s Ministry of External Affairs summoned Pakistan’s Deputy High Commissioner Mansoor Ahmed Khan to lodge a complaint, while India’s deputy high commissioner visited the FO in Islamabad to register a similar grievance regarding the delay in proceedings.

Quoting “reliable sources”, Indian news publications said Indian officials had sought updates regarding the trial’s progress during meetings with their Pakistani counterparts.

The report claimed that Pakistan had postponed the trial of suspects in the Mumbai attacks case several times, with the most recent adjournment being the seventh in a row.

It was further alleged that judicial proceedings of the case remained inconsistent due to lack of strong prosecution.

Lashkar-e-Taiba operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Anjum have been charged with planning, financing and executing the attacks in Mumbai.

However, since March 3, when terrorists attacked the district courts in Islamabad killing 12 people, including an additional district and sessions judge, progress on the trial slowed down owing to security concerns, sources close to the proceedings said.

The case is related to the killing of more than 170 people in India’s Mumbai city in 2008 by terrorists who New Delhi claims had the support of Pakistani militants, whereas Islamabad denies the allegations.