Friday, January 16, 2009

Miliband begins key Pakistan trip



UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband has arrived in Islamabad on a two-day visit as part of international efforts to diffuse India-Pakistan tension.

Relations between the South Asian neighbours have been under severe strain since November's Mumbai attacks.

More than 170 people died in the attacks, which India has blamed on Pakistan-based militants.

On Thursday, Mr Miliband visited Mumbai where he urged Islamabad to show "zero tolerance" towards militant groups.

Mr Miliband has held talks with Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

He is also due to meet President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and army chief Gen Ashfaq Kayani before flying out on Saturday, Pakistani officials say.

Taj Palace speech

Delhi has blamed Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba for the attacks on India's financial capital and believes "official agencies" played a part.

Both Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Pakistani government have denied any involvement.

On Thursday, Pakistan said it had so far arrested 71 people in a crackdown on groups allegedly linked to Mumbai.

Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik said officials had also shut several schools run by a charity linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Mr Malik said the authorities had so far closed down 87 institutions - including seven madrassas (religious schools) - belonging to the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa Islamic charity.

The organisation is widely seen as a political front for Lashkar-e-Taiba. A number of publications and websites had also been blocked.

The camps closed down include the main Lashkar-e-Taiba base in Pakistani-administered Kashmir, which was shut in December.

The group's main commander, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, who has been named in India as being linked to the Mumbai attacks, was one of those arrested at that time.

India has repeatedly said that Pakistan is failing to take action despite evidence of Lashkar's involvement in the attacks.

On Thursday, Mr Miliband gave a speech at the Taj Palace hotel, one of the sites of the attacks in Mumbai.

He said: "We know the attacks were carried out by Laskhar-e-Taiba operating from the territory of Pakistan.

"There must be zero tolerance towards such organisations."

But he has said he does not believe the Pakistani government was directly involved.

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