Police in Nepal are probing possible links between two Pakistani men arrested here on explosives charges and the serial train blasts in Mumbai that killed 179 people, an official said Friday.
KATHMANDU: Police in Nepal are probing possible links between two Pakistani men arrested here on explosives charges and the serial train blasts in Mumbai that killed 179 people, an official said Friday.
The men were arrested at a downtown hotel Wednesday in connection with the 2001 discovery in a Kathmandu flat of 16 kilograms (33 pounds) of powerful RDX explosive.
"We will also investigate their possible links in the Mumbai blasts during interrogation. We can't say anything at the moment," said Sharad Oli, deputy superintendent of Kathmandu police.
Seven blasts went off in the space of 15 minutes Tuesday along Mumbai's western railway line, tearing open first-class train carriages that were packed with people travelling home from work in India's commercial hub.
Nepalese officials pledged Friday to make thorough investigations following the arrests.
"We will take action as per the existing law of the state if someone exploits our territory for operating violent activities in foreign soil," said home ministry spokesman Baman Prasad Neupane.
Sandwiched between India and China, Nepal would not be used as a regional base for terrorists, another official said.
"We don't allow our territory to be used against any neighbours and we are committed to curb terrorist infiltration," said foreign ministry spokesman Yadhav Khanal.
Kathmandu district court granted police five days to interrogate the two Pakistanis, a police officer said Friday.
"The two arrested Pakistani nationals will be kept in police custody for at least five days for investigation on possession of 16 kilograms of RDX explosives back in 2001," said Oli.
On Thursday police said four people had been arrested from two hotels in the capital, but on Friday said only two men had been detained.
The Pakistani Embassy in Kathmandu said that they had no information about the arrest of the two men.
"We have not been told officially. We don't know anything about this issue," said an embassy spokesman on condition on anonymity.
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