India awaiting Pak response on most wanted

MUMBAI: India Tuesday said it was waiting for a response from Pakistan over the extradition of 20 most wanted criminals who are said to be in that country and underlined that the international community was firmly behind New Delhi in the wake of the Mumbai attack.

“We issued a demarche (Monday). We are waiting for a response from Pakistan,” External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said here.

"International community is behind us, including the newly elected US president Barack Obama," said Mukherjee.

Mukherjee was replying to a query about Pakistan's response to India's demand for handing over the 20 top criminals who are said to be behind major terror acts in India.

The Indian external affairs ministry summoned Pakistan's High Commissioner Shahid Malik in New Delhi Monday and told him sternly that Pakistan's actions must match its Jan 6, 2004 pledge not to allow its territory for anti-India terror strikes if it wanted better ties.

New Delhi also demanded the extradition of known terror masterminds like mobboss Dawood Ibrahim, Maulana Masood Azhar, and Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, who are suspected to have a hand in major terror strikes against India.

A day after the Nov 26 Mumbai terror strikes that left at least 183 people dead, India had indicated the involvement of “elements in Pakistan” in this meticulously choreographed attacks at 10 landmarks in India's financial capital.

Terrorists came to Mumbai via the sea route from Karachi along the Gujarat coast, according to preliminary findings.