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LeT chief's release: Oppn walks out over govt inaction

Last updated on: August 04, 2009 14:39 IST

Almost the entire Opposition staged a walk out in Parliament on Tuesday over the government's 'failure' to respond to concerns over release of Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed in Pakistan.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha L K Advani slammed the government on its dealing with Pakistan and exhorted the Prime Minister to clarify government's stance on Saeed's case.

"The entire Saeed trial is an acid test for Indo-Pak talks and all talks with Pakistan will be futile till they take action against terror and Saeed," he said.

He said that de-linking of terror talks from the composite dialogue process is a huge mistake on the part of the government.

Yashwant Sinha, senior leader of BJP, expressed surprise over the fact that Saeed had been released after Home Minister P Chidambaram said that the fresh dossier given by India to Pakistan contains enough evidence against him.

"Recently, our Home Minister has given a new dossier to Pakistan and told the public here that dossier contains enough evidence to prosecute Saeed. In response to that Pakistan has freed Saeed," said Sinha.

Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav once aging raised questions on the joint statement signed by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh after meeting his Pakistani counterpart in Egypt.

"The prosecution of Saeed was not done properly in Supreme Court. That militant is very dangerous and an accused. Earlier as well, we raised opposition in the Parliament that the Prime Minister shouldn't have signed that joint statement. We even said that they should have thrown it in the dustbin, as Pakistan would deceive you again. And this is the betrayal and danger by Pakistan that would encourage terrorism," said Yadav.

Pakistan's Supreme Court on Monday indefinitely adjourned the trial of Saeed. Despite the submission of the fourth dossier on the Mumbai terror attacks to Pakistan's Deputy High Commissioner to India, Rifat Masood, Pakistan has apparently let off Saeed.

Saeed was released from detention about two months ago.

Recently, Pakistan's Interior Adviser Rehman Malik had said that there was 'not enough proof'' of Saeed's involvement in the 26/11 carnage, so the alleged mastermind could not be put behind bars.

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Saturday said that India has given sufficient evidence to Pakistan to prosecute Saeed for his involvement in Mumbai terror attacks that claimed 166 lives.

Chidambaram had said the three dossiers that India has so far handed over to Pakistan on the 26/11 attacks contined enough proof to nail Saeed. 

On Saturday, the Ministry of External Affairs had handed over the fourth dossier on Mumbai terror attacks to Pakistan''s Deputy High Commissioner to India, Rifat Masood.

Source: ANI