India gives Pak proof of terror linkages

India on Monday sought Pakistan's cooperation in tracking down the suspects in the recent bomb blasts in Hyderabad, Ajmer and Ludhiana as it provided evidence of the cross-border linkages to these incidents at the Joint Anti-Terror Meeting in New Delhi.

New Delhi also sought to know what action Islamabad had taken on information provided about persons believed to be behind the cross-border Samjhauta Express blasts and other terror attacks in India over the last two years.

'Both sides shared new information on terrorist incidents, including those which have occurred since the last meeting,' a joint statement issued after the second JATM said.

At the meeting, the Indian side provided evidence about involvement of Pakistan-based elements in the bomb blasts at Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad, Ajmer Mosque and Ludhiana cinema hall over the last few months.

Security agencies have blamed some Pakistan-based terrorists for these attacks. National Security Adviser M K Narayanan recently said Pakistani linkages were common to all these terror incidents.

"The Pakistani side assured that it will look into the evidence," a source said after the meeting.

The Indian delegation was led by K C Singh, Additional Secretary (International Organisations) in the External Affairs Ministry while the Pakistani side was headed by Khalid Aziz Babar, Additional Secretary (UN) in the Foreign Ministry.

India also sought to know what Pakistan had done to track down those believed to be behind a bomb blast on Samjhauta Express in February that killed 68 passengers, comprising nationals of both the countries.

At the first meeting of the JATM in Islamabad on March 6, the Indian side had handed over a photo of a suspected Pakistani national believed to be involved in the terror strike on the train when it was heading for Lahore.

During that meeting, Pakistan was also given the photograph of an unclaimed body recovered from the site of the Mumbai train blasts in July last year.

New Delhi had also given evidence with regard to the involvement of Pakistan-based terror groups in the attacks in Delhi, Varanasi and Ayodhya besides in Hyderabad in 2005.

'The two sides reviewed the follow up steps taken on the information shared during the first meeting of the JATM... and the intervening period,' the statement issued today said.

At the March meeting, the Indian side had forwarded 'confessions' by a Lashker-e-Tayiba militant and Pakistani national on his role in the 2005 bombing of the police headquarters in Hyderabad and requested for an update on the probe at the next round of talks.

Pakistan had agreed to share 'specific information' on terror-related acts through the mechanism to help investigations and prevent more such incidents.

The next meeting of the JATM will be held in Islamabad but the dates were not decided.

Earlier, it had been agreed that the ATM would meet on quarterly basis but the second meeting of the mechanism took place after seven months.

The meeting could not take place as per the agreed schedule as Pakistan said its pointsman had retired and it took time to decide on his successor.