Tags
Students hold national flags during a ceremony to celebrate Pakistan's 69th Independence Day at the mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Karachi on Friday.
Reuters/Islamabad
Pakistan lodged a diplomatic protest with India on Friday over its decision to release a man jailed over a 2007 train bombing that killed 68 people, most Pakistanis.
The protest to the Indian Deputy High Commissioner, made as Pakistan celebrated the anniversary of its separation from India and independence from Britain, comes as the two nations prepare for a high-level meeting on August 23-24.
That will be the first serious effort in months to improve strained relations, though the two sides have vastly different expectations.
"The Government of Pakistan expects India to take steps to bring to justice all those involved in the heinous act of terrorism on the Samjhauta Express, in which 42 Pakistani innocent citizens lost their lives," it said in a statement.
The Indian government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Swami Aseemanand, a Hindu holy man or 'sadhu' and former member of the nationalist organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, was jailed in 2010 after admitting involvement in the attack on the train, which was en route to the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore.
He later said he was tortured to give a false statement, and earlier this month India's premier investigation agency announced it would not oppose a court's decision last year to grant him bail.
Pakistan said it had "serious reservations on the efficiency of the court in processing and disposal of cases regarding terrorism, especially those involving deaths of Pakistani citizens".
In April, Pakistan infuriated India by granting bail to Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, accused of plotting a 2008 militant assault in Mumbai that killed 166 people.
India wants to use the August 23-24 meeting to present proof that Pakistan is orchestrating deadly militant attacks on Indian soil. Pakistani officials say the accusations are false and that they want to talk about improving ties, not just militancy.
There are no comments.
SPORT Saying goodbye is never easy, especially when you are saying farewell to those that have left a positive impression. That was the case earlier this month when Canada hosted Mexico in a friendly at BC Place stadium in Vancouver.
TECHNOLOGY Some 60mn primary-school-age children have no access to formal education
CULTURE Lekhwiya’s El Arabi scores the equaliser after Tresor is sent off; Tabata, al-Harazi score for QSL champions
ARABIA The Yemeni Minister of Tourism, Dr Mohamed Abdul Majid Qubati, yesterday expressed hope that the 48-hour ceasefire in Yemen declared by the Command of Coalition Forces on Saturday will be maintained in order to lift the siege imposed on Taz City and ease the entry of humanitarian aid to the besieged
ARABIA Some 200 teachers from schools across the country attended Qatar Museum’s (QM) first ever Teachers Council at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) yesterday.
ARABIA The Supreme Judiciary Council (SJC) of Qatar and the Indonesian Supreme Court (SCI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on judicial co-operation, it was announced yesterday.
ECONOMY Sri Lanka is keen on importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar as part of government policy to shift to clean energy, Minister of City Planning and Water Supply Rauff Hakeem has said.
