Pakistan needs to act faster against terrorists: Miliband
Mr Milband, who is on his fourth trip to Pakistan in 18 months to defuse tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi, was speaking at a press briefing in the Bristsh High Commission.
Acknowledging Pakistan’s commitment to tackle terrorism, especially to prosecuting perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks, he said his country wanted “actions to go further and … faster”.
Terming the arrests a significant first step, Mr Miliband said the detainees should be prosecuted.
The two-track approach that he proposed included prosecution of people arrested in connection with the Mumbai attacks and “putting out of business the terrorist infrastructure within Pakistan that is the foundation of the terrorists’ ability to launch attacks in neighbouring countries”.
The prosecution of the accused and exemplary punishment for those found guilty, Mr Miliband said, would go a long way in building the international community’s confidence in Pakistan’s commitment to “rebut and rebuff attempts by terrorists to use Pakistani soil as a launching pad”.
He rejected New Delhi’s demand for extradition of suspects and their prosecution in India. “They should be prosecuted in Pakistan.” He said Islamabad’s choices were “very limited” – either create a decent society or one in which a small minority held the rest of the country to ransom.
The UK foreign secretary said that although many people wanted trade between Pakistan and India to flourish and that they should “cooperate and work against terrorism”, but they found it difficult to achieve because of “repeated attacks on Indian territory and property”.
Mr Miliband said India had worked hard for four years to improve ties with Pakistan and it now wanted it to tackle terrorism. “They seriously need Pakistan to address the searing injustice Indians feel over terror attacks.”
Urging Pakistan to deal quickly with terrorist groups, he said they posed a mortal threat to Pakistan, its neighbours and all people travelling through the region.
He also urged Pakistan to fulfill its part of the bargain that brought it economic bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by continuing action against terrorist groups with “added vigour and renewed resolve”.
Reminding Pakistan of India’s support for the IMF loan, he said: “Our side of the bargain was to support Pakistan through IMF, while Pakistan’s side of bargain is to do all in its power to curb terrorism launched from this country.”
He said it was India’s strength and wisdom that it supported a $7-8 billion loan for a country from where attacks were launched in Mumbai. “That decision deserves recognition.”
On the Kashmir issue, the foreign secretary said its resolution needed an intensive dialogue between India and Pakistan.
Mr Miliband also called on Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and President Asif Ali Zardari.
He is scheduled to meet Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on Saturday before returning home.
Earlier, an aide to Mr Gilani told AFP the prime minister “reiterated that my government would do whatever it can (on Mumbai) and would move fast in acting against those who are proven to be involved”.