LeT serious threat,Pak needs to act against Saeed: EU

Viewing Lashkar-e-Taiba as a "very serious threat" to India and rest of the world,European Union has made it clear that Pakistan should act against the terror group.

Viewing Lashkar-e-Taiba as a “very serious threat” to India and rest of the world,European Union has made it clear that Pakistan should act against the terror group,its frontal outfit JuD and its chief Hafiz Saeed as a “consequence” of ban imposed by the UN Security Council.

EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Gilles de Kerchove said the civilian democratic government and army of Pakistan will have to get their “act together” to eliminate such threats emanating from that country.

“27 member states (of EU) fully understand and share the assessment that LeT is a very serious threat,” he said in an interview here.

Noting that LeT shares “global agenda” with al-Qaeda,the top EU official said LeT was “obvious threat for India and we are worried by that. It is a threat to us too.” Kerchove,who discussed with top Indian officials here the threats emerging from the Pakistan in the backdrop of 26/11 strikes,said he had visited Islamabad in the recent past “to convey our wish to see Pakistan prosecuting,convicting authors of Mumbai attack.”

He made it clear that the Pakistani government will have to act against Jamaat-ud Dawa,the front organisation of LeT,as “it has been put on UN list (of banned organisations),including Saeed himself. Not only JuD,the person himself has been listed by the sanctions committee.”

When it was pointed out that Pakistan was refusing to act against Saeed claiming that there was no evidence against him,Kerchove said “one has to draw consequence…We expect Pakistanis to draw the consequence of this (UN) listing. We have intense dialogue with civilian government to achieve that.”

The EU official said Pakistan-based terrorist groups like LeT or Jamaat-ud Dawa are a threat not only India but affect Europe as well.

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“We have seen movement between Europe and Pakistan,some youngsters living in Europe going to Pakistan attending training camps,madrassa. That is something on which we have to exchange relevant information,assessment and discuss,” he said.

He said the Pakistani side had indicated “they are serious” about terrorist threat as the civilian government there feels that terrorism by groups like Taliban,LeT and Jaish-e Mohammad pose “existential threat” to Pakistan. Asked how serious Pakistan was in dealing with groups like LeT considering that India says it not as serious as in dealing with Taliban,Kerchove said his talks in Pakistan had indicated that the civilian government is “more and more conscious” that all forms of terrorism are a threat to it.

“I think this consciousness of the seriousness of problem is there and that is why we have had the government change course of action,” he said,adding the civilian democratic government and the army in Pakistan needed to “put their act together”.

Asked about his assessment about the steps taken by Pakistan with regard to Mumbai attacks,the EU Counter-Terrorism official did not give any opinion,saying “there is an investigation going on”. At the same time,he said justice system in Pakistan needs to improve significantly “because many people arrested last year have not been convicted for lack of evidence.” Kerchove said the EU was willing to help Pakistan strengthen investigative procedures and judicial processes.

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When it was pointed out that India had given dossiers of evidence on Mumbai attacks,he said “I am not a prosecutor. I can’t say if what you provided is enough.” He said the EU at the highest level has “conveyed messages to Pakistanis (that) we want this to lead to very professional investigation and very professional judicial process.”