World should help Pakistan fight terrorism: Miliband
* British foreign secretary says Pakistani law was violated, ‘they should prosecute suspects’
* Attacks not directed by Islamabad
* Attacks not directed by Islamabad
LAHORE/NEW DELHI: British Foreign Secretary David Miliband urged the world community on Wednesday to help Pakistan fight the war on terror, according to a private TV channel.
Miliband told reporters in New Delhi that Britain wanted the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks brought to justice – “the first step that will show Pakistan’s determination to cooperate with India”. He said President Asif Ali Zardari also wanted to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Virtually rejecting India’s demand that suspects arrested in Pakistan’s Mumbai attacks probe be extradited, Miliband separately said in an appearance on an Indian TV programme that Britain supports the suspects’ prosecution in Pakistan – as “they have broken the law of that country”.
The British official said there was no extradition treaty between the South Asian rivals that allowed suspects to be handed over for prosecution in India. He said that it must be ensured that the “Pakistani judicial system takes its course” and those found guilty were punished there.
Origin: However, he also reiterated that “we have absolutely no doubt about the origin of the attacks ... the origins are in Pakistan”.
He said the Pakistani authorities had detained suspects, and “if there is evidence, they should be prosecuted”.
Noting that former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and several others had fallen victim to terrorism, he said, “They (Pakistanis) need to ... [fight terrorism] for their own good.”
About Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s allegation that Pakistan’s official agencies could have been involved in the Mumbai attacks, Miliband reiterated his statement of Tuesday, “We don’t have evidence to show that attacks were directed by the Pakistani government.”
Rejection: About Singh’s statement that Pakistan is using terrorism as ‘an instrument of state policy’, Miliband said, “I have no evidence of the Pakistani state directing terrorist activities, and I will never make that claim without that evidence. What I know is Pakistan has a very serious terrorism problem.”
He rejected any contention for imposing sanctions on Pakistan by the UK.
He said the UK would use all appropriate mechanisms to make a ‘difference’, but made it clear that ‘military stick’ would be of no help. “There is serious need for reform from within Pakistan,” said Miliband.
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