Pakistan extends crackdown on Mumbai suspects

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Source: CCTV.com | 01-17-2009 14:43

Pakistan says it will help India bring to justice those behind November's attacks in Mumbai.

The Interior Ministry says it has shut down extremist Web sites and suspected militant training camps, and detained 71 people in a deepening probe.

Pakistan's Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik talks to media after attend a ceremony in Karachi, Pakistan on Monday, Jan. 5, 2008.(AP Photo/Shakil Adil)

At a news conference in Islamabad, Pakistan's Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik said information provided by India on groups in Pakistan still needs to be investigated before it can be used as evidence in court.

India has blamed Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba for killing 164 people in Mumbai in November siege that raised tension between the two neighbors.

After the attacks, the United Nations Security Council declared that Jamaat-ud-Dawa, a charity in Pakistan, was merely a front for the outlawed militant organization.

Malik said 71 leaders of the groups had been arrested since then and that another 124 had been placed under surveillance and must register their every move with police.

Rehman Malik, Sectary, Pakistan Interior Ministry, said, "We have arrested total 124 various leaders, both mid-level, lower mid-level and their top leadership. "

Malik said authorities also had closed 20 offices, 94 schools, two libraries and six Web sites linked to the charity.

Several of the charity's relief camps were also shut down, some of which have been alleged to be militant training grounds.

Rehman Malik, Sectary, Pakistan Interior Ministry, said, "That is what the terrorists want. They want a wedge between Pakistan and India; they want to see tension between India and Pakistan. Let's act maturely, and work out a way out to do the investigation."

Malik repeated Pakistani calls for a joint investigation into the attacks.

He urged India to hand over more information to assist Pakistan's own probe.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei