India, US ask Pakistan to bring 26/11 perpetrators to justice

New Delhi: Identifying terrorism as a major challenge, India and the US on Sunday stressed the need for joint and concerted efforts to disrupt terror entities including LeT, D Company and the Haqqani Network and asked Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of 26/11 terror attack to justice.

After his talks with President Barack Obama, Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a joint press conference said there should be no distinction between terrorist groups and pressed for countries to fulfil their commitment to wipe out terror safe havens and bring them to justice.

He said India and the US have agreed that there was a need for comprehensive global strategy and approach to combat terrorism.

"The leaders reaffirmed the need for joint and concerted efforts to disrupt entities such as Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jaish-e- Mohammad, D Company and the Haqqani Network, and agreed to continue ongoing efforts through the Homeland Security Dialogue as well as the next round of the US-India Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism in late 2015 to develop actionable elements of bilateral engagement," a joint statement said after the talks.

The two sides noted the recent US sanctions against three D Company affiliates.

The President and the Prime Minister further agreed to continue to work toward an agreement to share information on known and suspected terrorists.

They also agreed to enter discussions to deepen collaboration on UN terrorist designations, and reiterated their call for Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of the November 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai to justice, it said.

The President and the Prime Minister also noted the positive cooperative engagement between the Indian and the US authorities with a view to working together to counter the threat of IEDs and to develop counterterrorism best practices.

"Terrorism remains a principal global threat. It is taking on a new character, even as existing challenges persist," Modi said.

Modi said the two countries agreed that they need a "comprehensive global strategy and approach" to combat it.

"There should be no distinction between terrorist groups. Every country must fulfil its commitments to eliminate terrorist safe havens and bring terrorists to justice," he said.

He said the two countries will deepen their bilateral security cooperation against terrorist groups. "And, we will further enhance our counter-terrorism capabilities, including in the area of technology," said the Prime Minister.

Obama thanked Modi for India's "strong counter-terrorism cooperation".

He said as America's combat mission is over in Afghanistan, "we are going to continue to be strong and reliable partners for the Afghan people who have benefited from India's generous assistance over many years".

Modi and Obama committed to undertake efforts to make the US-India partnership a defining counter terrorism relationship for the 21st Century by deepening collaboration to combat the full spectrum of terrorist threats and keep their respective homelands and citizens safe from attacks.

"The leaders reiterated their strong condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations with 'zero tolerance' and reaffirmed their deep concern over the continued threat posed by transnational terrorism including by groups like Al Qaida and the ISIL, and called for eliminating terrorist safe havens and infrastructure, disrupting terrorist networks and their financing, and stopping cross-border movement of terrorists.