New Delhi: The outgoing High Commissioner of Pakistan to India Salman Bashir has dismissed India's apprehension that Pakistan is conducting a sham of a trial of those accused for the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Speaking to CNN-IBN's Karan Thapar on Devil's Advocate ahead of the fifth anniversary of the attacks, he said the case in Pakistan was moving to its logical end.
Here is an excerpt from the interview:
Karan Thapar: Tuesday is the fifth annniversary of 26/11 and people say that also marks the fact that for five years the case in Pakistan has been dragging without coming to any sort of conclusion. And the question in India is this a sham trial being stage in Islamabad. Is this pulling wool over Indian eyes. What do you say to those who question the credibility of the trial in Pakistan?
Salman Bashir: Those who will question will continue to question. But the fact is the legal system, the judicial system is more or less the same on both sides. Both sides need to cooperate more to get this expedited.
Karan Thapar: You are blaming it on the legal system, but the truth is there are many reasons why Indian people are suspicious. The first is that over five years the judge in Pakistan has changed six times. Almost each time the court meets, it almost immediately adjourns and now the prosecutor is now being privately letting it being known that he is not interested in prosecuting this case. Aren't those just deliberate delaying tactics?
Salman Bashir: No, I don't think so. The whole post-26/11 scenario has not been quite objectively understood in India, unfortunately. The fact is these people who are being accused are under trial. There were legal requirements which were not fulfilled.
Karan Thapar: Can I interrupt you. You say these people who are accused are under trial. Not just American intelligence, but now a critical new book 'The Siege' has confirmed that Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi the key person allegedly under trial, allegedly in jail enjoys conjugal visits from his wife. He has a mobile phone at his disposal and he has even met on one occasion with the former head of the ISI, General Pasha. That's in 'The Siege'. What do you say to Indian people to explain that?
Salman Bashir: I don't think that is quite an accurate description. The fact is that the executive is doing, the proseuction is doing all that it can. Now this trial is being speeded up. Let me tell you that.
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