Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has rejected India’s demand to hand over Lashkar-e-Toiba chief Hafiz Mohd Sayeed and other fugitives in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, adding that he doubted whether the one terrorist arrested was a Pakistani national.

Denying Pakistan’s involvement in the attacks, Zardari said the terror strikes were executed by “Stateless actors” who wanted to hold the “entire world hostage”. He was speaking on CNN’s Larry King Live, telecast on Tuesday night.

Two days after New Delhi’s demarche (protest note) demanding the handing over of 20 fugitives, Zardari made known Pakistan’s reluctance to part with them. “If we had proof, we would try them in our courts. We would try them in our land and we would sentence them,” he said.

India’s list of 20 is believed to include underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar. India is awaiting Pakistan’s response before deciding on the options it could exercise.

Zardari said he also doubted India’s claim that the sole surviving gunman, who was captured by Indian security forces, was a Pakistani national. “We have not been given any tangible proof to say that he is definitely a Pakistani. I very much doubt that he’s a Pakistani,” he said.

“They (the terrorists) are Stateless actors who have been operating throughout the region. They include gunmen and the planners and are holding the entire world hostage... The State of Pakistan is not responsible... Even the White House and CIA have said so,” the President said.

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