If US can extradite Tahawwur Rana, why can’t Pakistan hand over Lakhvi, Hafiz Saeed: Indian diplomat
India’s ambassador to Israel, JP Singh, called for the formation of an international coalition against terrorism.
He also demanded that terrorists Hafiz Saeed, Sajid Mir, and Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi be handed over to India, just like the US did with one of the masterminds of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, Tahawwur Hussain Rana.
Adding that terrorism is a global menace, the Indian envoy called for greater cooperation among the countries faced with the challenge.
“At an international level all those countries, including India, Israel and many other countries that face the brunt of terrorism, we need to expand our diplomatic reach, we need to cooperate, we need to form a coalition against terrorism and most importantly against the supporters of these terrorist groups”, he proposed.
Speaking against the backdrop of the recent Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 civilians were killed, Singh blamed Pakistan-based terror outfits and accused Islamabad of shielding top terrorists like Hafiz Saeed, Sajid Mir, and Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi – all linked to the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
The top terrorists of Lashkar-e-Taiba, which was behind the Mumbai attacks in which several Jews were also killed, continue to roam free, he noted.
“They need to do a very simple thing – when the preamble includes goodwill and friendship, they just need to hand over these terrorists to us”, the envoy stressed.
Pointing out that the United States recently extradited Tahawwur Hussain Rana, who was involved in the Mumbai attack, the diplomat, who has also served in Pakistan in the past, said that Islamabad could also do the same.
“When the US can hand over these culprits, why can’t Pakistan hand them over? They have to simply hand over Hafeez Saeed, Lakhvi, Sajid Mir, and things will be over,” he emphasised.
Operation Sindoor is only paused
Speaking with Israeli TV channel i24 on Monday, Singh declared that India’s counter-terrorism offensive against Pakistan-sponsored terrorists – Operation Sindoor- is only “paused” and not concluded.
Singh also said that Operation Sindoor was always a military retaliation against terror groups in Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack.
“The terrorists killed people based on their religion. They asked people their religion before killing them, and 26 innocent lives were lost”, the Indian ambassador said, citing the Pahalgam attack of April 22.
Ceasefire holding, but India’s strategy has changed: Indian envoy
When asked about the current state of hostilities with Pakistan, Singh said, “The ceasefire is holding, but Operation Sindoor is paused—not over.”
“The fight against terrorism will continue. We have set a new normal, which is that we will follow an offensive strategy. Wherever terrorists are, we have to kill those terrorists and we have to destroy their infrastructure. So it is still not over, but as we speak, the ceasefire is still intact”, he asserted.
On the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) that Pakistan has described as “an act of war”, the Indian envoy said that the two keywords that guided the treaty were never honoured, and India, on the contrary, was always battling against terror attacks emanating from Pakistan.