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The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday said it was not surprised by the comments of Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik on alleged 26/11 handler Abu Jundal, saying Islamabad is 'habitually in denial mode' and India should follow a policy of first veryfying its claims and then trusting them.
"It is difficult to say whether Pakistan should trust India or India should trust Pakistan. Our Prime Minister had famously said sometime ago that his policy towards Pakistan is
trust and verify. Instead of saying verify and trust, he said trust and verify," BJP leader Yashwant Sinha told reporters.
He said even in the case of death row convict Sarabjit Singh, who is jailed in Pakistan and the government here is trying to bring him back, it is futile if the United Progressive Alliance government trusted the neighbouring country.
On Jundal, Sinha said "Pakistan we know is habitually in a denial mode. They will never accept (that he was involved in 26/11). Earlier about Amir Kasab, they had said he is not from Pakistan."
The former External Affairs Minister pointed out that Jundal was travelling on a Pakistani passport though he is an Indian citizen from Beed, Maharashtra.
"How did he acquire a Pakistani passport? Will somebody among the authorities in Pakistan answer that?" Sinha said, adding that despite "piling evidence after evidence" of Pakistan's involvement, the country does not accept its role.
"I am not surprised that Pakistan has taken this line. I am sure Pakistan is capable of it. You put proof in their mouth, yet they will not accept," he said.
He claimed India should make efforts to be able to defend itself and not depend on Pakistan to feel safe.