Pakistan officials quiz Mumbai attacks 'planner'

PAKISTAN: Pakistani officials yesterday quizzed an alleged "key planner" of the Mumbai attacks as the United States urged further cooperation with Washington and New Delhi to prevent follow-on strikes.

As the focus in the aftermath of the carnage in India's business capital shifts to Islamabad's attempts to clamp down on militant organisations, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi faced a grilling over his role in the carnage.

Lakhvi - who according to Indian media was named by the lone surviving gunman as a key planner of last month's attacks - was detained in Pakistan's central Punjab province on Saturday.

A further 15 people were arrested in the disputed region of Kashmir a day later.

Amid the launch of an operation by the Pakistan military targeting militant groups, the United States Monday welcomed "positive steps" taken by Islamabad since the Mumbai attacks.

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari telephoned US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to brief her on actions taken by Pakistan since her visit to Islamabad and New Delhi, Rice's spokesman Sean McCormack said.

McCormack said Pakistan appeared to be taking "some positive steps" when asked to comment on news reports that Pakistan had made a major arrest. "What we don't want to see are future attacks coming, emanating from Pakistani soil," McCormack added.

The White House also welcomed Islamabad's actions, with spokeswoman Dana Perino saying: "I think there is no doubt that Pakistan has taken some positive steps."

The strikes at the end of last month left 172 people dead, including nine gunmen, and have soured ties between the nuclear-armed neighbours which have fought three wars since independence from Britain.

India says all 10 gunmen came from Pakistan and has handed Islamabad a list of 20 terror suspects, with demands for their arrest and extradition.

The group of 15 people arrested late Sunday were at a camp run by a charity closely linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) - the group at the centre of investigations into the Mumbai siege, an intelligence official said.

Islamabad, Tuesday, AFP

Pakistan says won't hand over attacks suspects to India

PAKISTAN: Pakistan will not hand over any suspects in the Mumbai attacks investigation to India, but will try them under its own laws, the country's Foreign Minister said yesterday.

"The arrests are being made for our own investigations. Even if allegations are proved against any suspect, he will not be handed over to India," said Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

"We will proceed against those arrested under Pakistani laws."

Multan, Tuesday, AFP