Pakistan has not kept promises on 26/11: Chidambaram

MUMBAI - Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said on Friday that Pakistan has failed to keep its promise of bringing the perpetrators of the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai to justice.

Speaking on the sidelines of a function held here to honour those who were martyred two years ago, he hoped Pakistan would realise its responsibility as a nation and take appropriate action.

“In Pakistan, we have a neighbour who has not fulfilled its promise to bring 26/11 masterminds to justice. We have learnt a lesson that while we will always trust our neighbour, we must always be on guard,” Chidambaram said.

“I sincerely hope that on the second anniversary of this horrific tragedy, Pakistan will realise its responsibility as a nation, as a government and fulfil its promises to bring to justice those who perpetrated the attacks,” he said.

Chidambaram said Islamabad had promised to bring to justice the masterminds, the controllers and the handlers of the terror strike by arresting all the seven persons whose names were handed over by India to it.

Pakistan, he added, was yet to provide voice samples of the persons who had been named as perpetrators of the carnage.

“On a day like this while we honour those who laid down their lives, while we renew to our people our pledge that we will do everything in our power to secure this country and secure the people, it is my duty to caution the people that we have a neighbour who has not yet fulfilled the promises made to us,” he said.

He said there was also a need to pay attention to proper training, weapons and housing needs of police forces.

“We must pay attention to police forces or else we won’t have an efficient police. There are over three lakh vacancies in police constabulary in India. We must pay attention to proper shoes, uniform, training, weapons, pay and housing needs of police force,” Chidambaram said.

Lauding slain police inspector Tukaram Ombale, who caught the lone surviving terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab, Chidambaram, said, “If Kasab hadn’t been caught alive, there would be no conclusive link to Pakistan in 26/11 attacks.”

Chidambaram was speaking after handing over the CNG filling station dealership to the family of Ombale in suburban Borivali. (ANI)