26/11 Mumbai terror attacks: India summons Pakistani diplomat; demands 'expeditious trial'

As India marks the 13th anniversary of the 26/11 terror attacks on Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs summoned a senior diplomat from the High Commission of Pakistan. It handed over a note verbale to him reiterating the demand for an expeditious trial in this case apart from asking Pakistan to abide by its commitment to not allow its territory to be used for terrorism against India. The MEA expressed "deep anguish" over the fact that Pakistan has shown little sincerity in bringing the perpetrators of the attack to justice.

The MEA stressed, "The 26/11 terrorist attack was planned, executed and launched from Pakistani territory. The former Prime Minister of Pakistan had gone on record and admitted that the terrorists were sent from Pakistan’s soil. We once again call on the Government of Pakistan to give up double standards and to expeditiously bring the perpetrators of the horrific attack to justice. This is not just a matter of Pakistan’s accountability to the families of the innocent victims who fell to terrorists, but also an international obligation."

Addressing the Constitution Day function in Parliament earlier on Friday, PM Modi stated, "26/11 is a sad day when the country's enemy came inside the country in Mumbai and carried out a terror attack. Many brave jawans sacrificed their lives while fighting the terrorists as a part of their responsibility of protecting the country's common man as per the constitution. Today, on 26/11, I pay homage to those who made the ultimate sacrifice."

The 26/11 attacks 

13 years ago, on the night of November 26, 2008, 10 heavily armed terrorists from Pakistan entered Mumbai via sea route and went on a rampage. The 26/11 attack witnessed 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists going on a killing spree in the buzzing city during peak hours at landmark locations like - Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the Oberoi Trident, the Taj Mahal, Palace and Tower, Leopold Cafe, Cama Hospital, the Nariman House Jewish Community centre. Ajmal Amir Kasab, the only terrorist to be captured alive, was hung four years later on November 21, 2012.

While terrorists Hafiz Saeed and  Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, the masterminds of the 26/11 case, have been convicted in other cases, the 26/11 trial remains stalled. Virtually admitting to his country's role in this terror attack, Pakistan's three-time PM Nawaz Sharif told a local newspaper in May 2018 that the authorities had allowed non-state actors to kill innocent people in Mumbai. The Centre has consistently promised to make every effort to seek justice for the families of the victims and the martyrs.