Pakistan's queries an 'endless exercise': Chidambaram

Union home minister P Chidambaram today described as an "endless exercise" Pakistan's request for fresh clarifications on the Mumbai terror attack and said this would, perhaps, be the last time he would be answering Islamabad.

"It can't be an endless exercise," Chidambaram told the Times Now television channel. "It has to come to an end. It is an endless exercise, very tiresome. I think, perhaps, this is the last time I will answer Pakistan's questions on this issue."

The home minister was answering questions on Islamabad sending a fresh dossier seeking replies to some new questions relating to the Mumbai terror attack. He said these are four minor questions which can be easily answered and he has asked officials to prepare the replies.

He said the material the Indian government has given Islamabad was enough to secure conviction of the suspects in Pakistan's courts. "I am sorry for the prosecutors of Pakistan who think this is not enough to conclude investigations and start prosecution," Chidambaram, who is also a lawyer, said. "The material given to Pakistan is enough for any court of law to convict the accused."

The home minister said there has to be some supplementary investigation on Pakistani soil to bring the accused to justice.

He said Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba operative Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi is one who can be convicted easily. "Of course, a judge has to be appointed. There has to be a trial and a judgment of conviction. If they do the investigation along with the evidence we have given, the accused can be nailed very easily. But they are nowhere near starting the trial whereas in India we are halfway into [Mohammed Ajmal Amir] Kasab's trial," he said.

"It is a very sad commentary on the legal skills of the prosecutors in Pakistan," he added.

Chidambaram said it remained India's position that no non-state actor can launch a terror attack of this scale in another country without state support. "There are elements in the Pakistani establishment who support terrorist groups and it is for the Pakistani establishment to act against these elements," he said.

The home minister said the Lashkar is a "big threat to India and it is something that I would like the Pakistan government and the establishment to prove to the contrary".

Chidambaram said he was entitled to assume that these elements enjoy the tacit support of state agencies. "The contrary must be proved," he said.

On criticism from the opposition of the Indo-Pak joint statement issued in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt, he said it was a misinterpretation. The joint statement said the action of Pakistan against terrorism should not be linked to the composite dialogue process.

"This means Pakistan should not delay or defer action on terrorism in the hope that the delay will trigger the start of the composite dialogue process," he said.

"Don't assume that you can defer action on terrorism as a bargaining chip for starting the dialogue process."

Asked about the problem of naxalism, Chidambaram said the threat of Maoists has grown over the past 10 years and become more intense in the past five. "I think our assessment of the naxalite position was basically flawed," he admitted.

The home minister said a section of the political spectrum thinks the naxals are driven by ideology and friends of the poor and that they can bring development to the people, which is wrong. "If anyone has any illusion on that score, they should read the politburo of CPI (Maoist) document called 'Post-Election: What needs to be done'.

"That is a very revealing document, short of declaring war against the state. And therefore, once you correctly assess the character of naxalites, they are committed to armed struggle to overthrow the established government and to seize power."

The home minister said the government has now decided to take on the challenge of the naxals squarely. "We must neutralise that challenge and the first step is to recover the territory which is no longer under the control of state governments."

Chidambaram said the West Bengal government has now reached the view that there must be joint operations to flush out the Maoists from areas of their control. He praised the steps being taken by Andhra Pradesh to eliminate the menace from the state.

Asked about frequent protests rocking Kashmir, the home minister said the demonstrations have taken place following certain incidents, which were purely personal disputes.

"Nothing to do with any security force, nothing to do with the CRPF, yet in the valley this becomes a major flashpoint and then immediately there is a bandh, there is stone pelting... it is very sad."

Chidambaram said the best way to handle such situations is to take firm political and administrative action. "I think immediate political action should be taken. Political parties, ministers from that area, must go there, meet the people, and say stop this, this is not the way to react to a situation," he said.

"I think chief minister Omar Abdullah in the last seven-eight days has taken firm action," he said.