New Delhi: Confirming that India's acting
Deputy High Commissioner was summoned to Foreign Office in
Pakistan, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao Sunday said they have
sought information about the 2007 Samjhauta Express train
blast investigations.
She said the investigations was an ongoing process and
the Ministry of External Affairs was in touch with the
Ministry of Home Affairs after which government will have a
consolidated response on it.
"I can only tell you facts in this regard. Our acting
Deputy High Commissioner G V Srinivas was summoned by Pakistan
Foreign Office and they referred to media reports that have
been surfacing about investigations in Samjhauta Express train
blast. That was basically the meeting was about," Rao said on
the sidelines of a function here.
"They (Pakistan) have requested for any information
that India would have to share with them in this regard. That
has been conveyed to us by our High Commissioner in Islamabad
and that is where the matter rest at the moment," she said.
Refusing to comment on timelines for such a response
to Pakistan, the Foreign Secretary said it was an ongoing
investigation and the ministry was in touch with MHA on this.
Srinivas was called by Director General (South Asia)
in Pakistan Foreign Office Afrasiab Mehdi Hashmi, who said
information on progress in the investigations should be
provided by New Delhi "at the earliest".
In an apparent reference to Swami Aseemanand's
confession to a special court in New Delhi, a statement issued
by the Foreign Office said the Indian diplomat's "attention
was drawn to the recent reports in the media on the
investigations into the Samjhauta Express blasts of February
2007".
PTI
First Published: Monday, January 10, 2011, 23:11