London: Condemning the Gujarat violence, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has said that those found guilty of carrying out the atrocities during the riots in the state last year will be punished and "justice will be not only seen to be done, it will be done."

"There is no doubt that those perpetrating in such violence should be punished. Our public, media and judiciary are following it closely. Justice will not only seen to be done, it will be done," Vajpayee told the 'Financial Times'.

In a wide-ranging interview, Vajpayee also expressed "disappointment" with Pakistan's failure to take steps to dismantle "the infrastructure of cross-border terrorism". But he said he would stick to his "step-by-step" approach to normalising relations with Pakistan.

Vajpayee's remarks on last year's Gujarat riots, in which over 1,000 people were killed are his strongest condemnation so far of the violence.

They are also likely to be interpreted as a strong signal of support for the Supreme Court, which in September felt the state Government was attempting to deny justice to the victims of the communal riots.

PTI