NEW DELHI, Jan 3: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appealed to Pakistan on Saturday to have the “sense to root out terrorism from its soil” and also hoped that Islamabad would extradite the masterminds of the Mumbai attacks that New Delhi says have found shelter across the border.

“We are committed to rooting out terrorism and we sincerely hope that better sense will prevail with Pakistan,” Dr Singh told journalists in the northeastern town of Shillong.

To keep the pressure on Islamabad to bring the alleged fugitives to book,

Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram said he was planning to visit Washington within a week, reportedly with “proof” of Pakistan’s culpability in Mumbai’s terror attacks. He is expected to meet senior security officials and key advisers to the Obama transition team.

“It (Pakistan) has to take action on the demand from all civilised countries that the perpetrators (of Mumbai attacks) will be brought to book,” Dr Singh said at a news conference after inaugurating a science conference in Shillong. “We hope that these criminals will be handed over to us to face trial.”

The prime minister also hoped that the new government in Bangladesh would not allow its territory to be used for terrorist acts against India, especially in the northeast.

“The growing menace of terrorism and Naxalism is a cause of worry. The government will not compromise with terrorism,” Dr Singh said. “There were some initial setbacks, but we will overcome them. The government will go to any extent to root out terrorism from the country.”

Meanwhile, Press Trust of India said as part of efforts “to drum up international pressure for nailing Islamabad’s lies”, Mr Chidambaram would travel to Washington next week “armed with evidence about involvement of Pakistan-based terrorists in the Mumbai attacks”.

“I will be going to the US next week. The dates are being finalised,” PTI quoted Mr Chidambaram as saying.

Asked about his mission, he said the Indian foreign ministry has prepared dossiers on evidence relating to Mumbai attacks and he would discuss them with his interlocutors in Washington. Details are being finalised, Mr Chidambaram said.

PTI said Mr Chidambaram is expected to meet US Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and possibly Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. A meeting with members of transition team of President-elect Barack Obama is also likely.

“Chidambaram’s discussions with American leaders could cover a broad ambit, including the steps taken by the Bush Administration in the aftermath of 9/11 attacks after a lot of critical self-appraisal,” PTI said.

US ambassador to India David C. Mulford on Saturday met Mr Chidambaram, apparently to tie up details regarding his visit.

Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said India will share evidence regarding the role of Pakistan-based elements with the world community, which he feels should do more to ensure that perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks are brought to justice.

“The evidence, the Indian government has put together, includes the confession of the lone Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist held in Mumbai terror attack, Mr Ajmal Amir Kasab,” PTI said. “The evidence will mostly include

Kasab’s confession to the police wherein he has given details of how he became a motivated terrorist of Lashkar-e-Taiba from a normal youth of Faridkot in Pakistan’s Punjab province.”

Also included in the dossier are records of logbook recovered from the vessel in which the 10 terrorists are alleged to have come from Karachi, records of satellite phone used by the attackers and transcript of conversations between the attackers and their handlers in Pakistan, sources told PTI.

The dossier also includes the corroborative evidence tracking the journey of the attackers from Karachi to Mumbai, they said.

PTI said investigators have found evidence to show that the terrorists, who struck at the Taj Hotel, Trident Hotel and Nariman House on November 26, were in touch with their handlers in Karachi even while their three-day engagement with security forces was on.

The evidence will be shared with Pakistan along with the United States, Britain, China and other countries that have influence on Islamabad, PTI said.

Officers from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation have already questioned Mr Kasab, the lone surviving Lashkar-e-Taiba militant involved in the November 26 strikes, to ascertain his role and those of his handlers in Pakistan.