India: No military action against Pakistan planned

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Source: CCTV.com | 12-17-2008 09:26

India says it is NOT planning military action against Pakistan in response to the Mumbai attacks that killed more than 170 people.

But India has also warned that its relationship with its neighbor would NOT be "normal" until Islamabad takes action against militants.

Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee gestures as he addresses a press conference in Srinagar, India, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2008.(AP Photo/Dar Yasin)

Indian authorities have blamed the Pakistani militant group, Lashkar-e-Taiba, for the three-day siege that left 164 dead in Mumbai last month. India has urged Pakistan to crack down on militants thought to be based within its borders.

Pranab Mukherjee, Indian Foreign Minister, said, "I have mentioned several times, attack by terrorists on Mumbai has nothing to do with Indo-Pakistan relationship vis-a-vis Kashmir. It is not a Kashmir issue. It is not merely an issue between India and Pakistan. It is part of the global action and global war against terrorism."

Pakistan has closed the offices of a charity linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba and arrested a senior leader from the group suspected of being the mastermind behind the attacks.

Pakistani authorities have said they will prosecute anyone allegedly involved in the attacks in their own courts.

But Indian leaders have said the moves are not sufficient and have called on Pakistan to do more to dismantle the network of militants they claim is well-established there.

Meanwhile, the two five-star Mumbai hotels attacked and held under siege have begun taking reservations and will partially reopen for business this weekend.

US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, and British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, have visited New Delhi and Islamabad to cool tensions in the region. They have also pressed Pakistan to cooperate in the investigation.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei