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India hopes Pak will hand over wanted terrorists

August 29, 2013 16:44 IST

Against the backdrop of Indian Mujahideen founder Yasin Bhatkal's arrest, India on Thursday hoped that the thinking in Pakistan will change as per the assurances given by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and also voiced expectation that all those wanted here would be handed over.

The days when those who indulged in terror activities managed to find "safe havens" in other parts of world are over as the thinking of the people is changing, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid told reporters outside Parliament.

He was asked if he felt that the thinking in Pakistan also has changed.

"We hope that their (thinking) will change. Their prime minister says that the results of the elections just held are an indicator that there is a change in the thinking of people in Pakistan. If this is so, we welcome it," Khurshid said.

"But we have had to wait for a long and testing time for this day...for complete satisfaction, there is a long list, all of them should be arrested and presented to the court. Those who fall in our hands, should be given to us, only then we will feel we are satisfied," he said.

Khurshid said not just in Pakistan, any country from where such elements are being "flushed out" is a welcome development.

"Wherever they are being flushed out, we welcome it. But it is not that this change of heart has happened by itself, it had happened because of our efforts. About the efforts we speak sometimes, but don't give all the details so that the attempts being made are not scuttled," Khurshid said.

"There is a long list...We should be able to hold answerable all those in the list...Such efforts on our part have been there...Our intention is not to speak on this issue just for getting cheap publicity. This is a serious issue and we understand our responsibility. Our effort will be to get full satisfaction for the country on the issue," he said.

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