New Delhi: Nearly a week after Pakistan acknowledged the role of its citizens in the Mumbai terror spree, India on Wednesday said diplomacy had "prevailed" over military options and reminded Islamabad to take "verifiable and credible action" against the masterminds of the carnage.
"Diplomacy has not failed. Diplomacy has prevailed," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told the Lok Sabha.
"We did not mobilise a single soldier. We did not press the panic button," Mukherjee said in response to the Opposition's criticism that the Government did not do enough to pressure Pakistan after the Mumbai attacks.
He was referring to charges of war-mongering levelled by Pakistan in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks and some sections in India who advocated using the military option to punish Islamabad.
Stressing the need for "verifiable and credible action" by Islamabad against the terrorists who ordered the Mumbai strike that killed some 170 people, Mukherjee said: "We will continue to demand that from Pakistan."
After a series of flip-flops denying Kasab's nationality and the role of Pakistani nationals, Interior Ministry chief Rahman Malik admitted on February 12 that part of the Mumbai conspiracy was hatched and planned in its territory and "most of the conspirators" of the Mumbai strikes were in their custody.
Malik also said Lashkar-e-Toiba Operations Commander Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi and Communication expert Zarar Shah were linked to the attacks. The minister said the duo have been located and were under investigation.
He said Pakistan needed more information and assistance from India for bringing out a successful criminal prosecution and added they had sent 30 questions to New Delhi.
India welcomed it as a "positive development" but reminded Pakistan to do more to bring the terrorists to justice and to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism.
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