British foreign secretary backs Pakistan over terr

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband on Thursday made it quite eviodent that he did not favour India's repeated demand to seek custody of the alleged Pakistani  perpetrators of the Mumbai terrorist attacks

Miliband also clearly expressed confidence over Pakistan's sincerity in dealing with the culprits.

Miliband who was accompanying Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on a two–day visit to the latter's political constituency told reporters, "it is amply evident that there are legal channels available in Pakistan to punish the perpetrators of the terrorist attack on Mumbai."

Expressing his faith in the Pakistani judicial system, he said, " the working of their legal system over the past one year clearly bears out how independent is their judiciary , so they should be allowed to go ahead with concrete action against them in their own home land."

He felt, "since the Pakistan President Zardari's own family had suffered on account of terrorism , I am sure he was equally committed towards taking effective steps against the problem."

Candidly declaring himself as much a "friend of Pakistan" as that of India, Miliband did not seem to be in favour with India's persistent demand for handing over of all Pakistani suspects involved behind the Mumbai attacks.

He said,  "the Indian people want action against perpetrators of the 26/11