Pakistan wants India to hand over Mumbai suspects for trial on its soil

Pakistan wants India to hand over Mumbai suspects

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan has asked India to hand over the alleged sole surviving gunman from the deadly Mumbai attacks, so he can be tried by Islamabad, an official said Sunday.

It’s unclear whether India will grant the request. The two rivals do not have an extradition treaty, and the suspect, Pakistani Ajmal Kasab, is already on trial in India following the three-day siege that killed 166 people.

Pakistan included the request while handing over information on the attack to an Indian High Commission official. It also requested that India hand over Fahim Ansari, an Indian national accused of having a role in the November 2008 attack, which severely strained the rivals’ already difficult relations.

A Pakistani government official, who confirmed the exchange, said Pakistan wants access to the men to aid in its own trial of seven suspects in the attack. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information.

Pakistan and India have fought three wars since gaining independence from Britain in 1947. India has blamed the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group for the attacks, while Pakistan has admitted the strike was partly planned on its soil.

Lashkar is a banned group, and Pakistan claims to have cracked down on a charity believed to be acting as a front for the militant organization.

Pakistan has not, however, taken any significant action against the group’s founder, Hafiz Saeed, whom India wants handed over. Islamabad says it needs more evidence to prosecute Saeed.

Also Sunday, Pakistani troops clashed with militants in the Orakzai tribal region in the northwest. Nine suspected insurgents died, said two intelligence officials speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record.

Pakistan’s army has been waging an offensive in Orakzai aimed at eliminating Taliban militants fleeing another army operation in the South Waziristan tribal area.