India is considering all options against Pakistan to make it act against perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said.
"Pakistan has been contradicting its statements. Enough evidence has been given to Pakistan. Pakistan must cooperate and not contradict us. Mere talk is not enough. Pakistan has to act," said Mukherjee at a business chamber conference in Kolkata.
"Instead of contradiction and denial, they will have to take action," said Mukherjee. This is the third time in the past one week that Mukherjee has faulted Pakistan for allegedly failing to act against terrorist groups operating in its territory against India.
On Saturday, Mukherjee doubted whether Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari was in control of his country. "The pretence of democracy is not equivalent to democratisation. We do not believe that it is for us to advocate how other countries should be governed but we most certainly like to know whom we should deal with vis-à-vis another government. In other words who runs the show?" said Mukherjee.
Earlier on Friday, Mukherjee said in Gangtok that India was keeping all options open to defend itself. "Terrorism remains a scourge for our region. If a country cannot keep the assurances that it has given, then it obliges us to consider the entire range of options that exist to protect our interests and people from this menace," he said.
Pakistan, under intense international pressure, has moved against the militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba, which allegedly trained the 10 terrorists who attacked Mumbai, and its front Jamaat-ud-Dawa.
The Pakistan government says 53 people are in custody, including Lashkar's leader, Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, and two men accused by India of being key plotters of the Mumbai carnage.
India alleges the crackdown is cosmetic and the two groups can easily operate by changing their names and addresses.
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