Pakistan's interior minister says the trial of five men accused of
involvement in last year's deadly attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai
will likely begin next week.
Rehman Malik told reporters on
Saturday that Pakistan's investigation into the role of the accused is
nearly complete and that based on the evidence, "the culprits will be
punished."
The interior minister also rejected India's
allegations that Pakistan was not serious about carrying out its
investigation into the terror attacks that killed 166 people last
November in India's financial hub. He said Pakistan went the "extra
mile" in its probe.
India blames the assault on militants trained in Pakistan.
Earlier
on Saturday, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told the Press Trust
of India news agency he hoped Pakistan would take credible action
against perpetrators of the Mumbai attack.
Mr. Singh is set to meet his Pakistani counterpart for talks next week in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
Pakistan's
interior minister says one of the five suspects, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi,
has been charged with masterminding the attacks.
Pakistan is
still searching for at least a dozen other suspects in the case. Malik
called on India to provide additional information, including a
statement from the lone surviving suspected gunman, Mohammed Ajmal
Kasab. The Pakistani national is on trial in Mumbai for murder and
"waging war" against India.
Indian security forces killed nine
other gunmen during the 60-hour siege and arrested Kasab, who New Delhi
says is a member of the Pakistani militant group, Lashkar-e-Taiba.
India
also has suggested Pakistani government agents were involved in the
attack. Pakistan denies the allegation, which has heightened tensions
between the neighbors.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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