Before next month’s meeting of Indian and Pakistani foreign secretaries to remove the trust deficit between our two nations the Indian government summoned Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner Mr. Mansoor Ahmed Khan for consultation. He was conveyed our government’s concern over the delay in the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai trial in Pakistani courts.

The trial has already been adjourned seven times. India has sought regular briefings from Pakistan regarding the progress of the trial. The Pakistan envoy pleaded that the judicial process had to take its course. He also said that Pakistan was equally concerned about the delay in the trial of the Samjhauta Express blast in which Hindu terrorists are accused as the perpetrators by the National Investigative Agency (NIA).

To further highlight Pakistani concerns over the train blast the Pakistan High Commissioner Mr. Abdul Basit stated:

“Our prosecution is doing its job. But like other countries, executive in Pakistan too cannot dictate judiciary. .. But at the same breath we also told India that families in Pakistan too are waiting for justice in the Samjhauta Express blast case… we too are under pressure to get justice just the way Indian government is.”

Everything is going according to script! Hindu terrorists have undoubtedly targeted Muslims in acts of terror within India. But only in the Samjhauta Express blast did Pakistani Muslims die. Was that why the NIA ignored official findings of the US and United Nations (UN) after detailed FBI investigation which nailed Hafiz Saeed and his compatriots for the Samjhauta Express terror? Only by nailing Hindu terrorists for the Samjhauta Express blast can Pakistan too justifiably claim to be a victim of Indian terrorism. Only by putting both nations on the same page can removal of the trust deficit between both nations be facilitated – or so thinks our government.

During their interaction the Pakistani envoy of course made no reference to the official UN resolution on the Samjhauta Express blast. Nor did Indian officials refer to it. How could they? Our government’s own NIA has nailed Hindu terrorists for the train blast. Did the NIA in its report make any reference at all to the UN resolution on the train blast? It is doubtful. When half a dozen comments in these columns to this glaring unresolved contradiction between the NIA probe and the US-UN findings is ignored by government, opposition and the rest of the media, why should NIA bother? The Samjhauta Express investigation is firmly on track and running on course. Does our political establishment believe a spurious probe will lead us to the removal of trust deficit and Indo-Pakistan peace?