New Delhi: Republican leader John McCain Tuesday made an unscheduled visit to India and asked Pakistan to offer cooperation “as quickly and efficiently as possible” over the Mumbai terrorist massacre.

Speaking to the media after meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, McCain said he and his fellow Republicans were here to express “our sorrow and solidarity with the people of India”.

McCain, who lost the presidential battle to Democrat Barak Obama last month, said the Mumbai killings came “at a time when India-US relations are excellent.

“I know we will cooperate and assist in every possible way to track down the perpetrators (of the terrorist attacks),” he said.

McCain added that people were outraged over what happened in Mumbai during the three days and three nights terrorists went on a killing spree and said he hoped the killers would be brought to justice.

He said he looked forward to cooperation from Islamabad in efforts to nail down the terrorists, who India says came from Pakistan by boat Nov 26 and struck at 10 sites in Mumbai, eventually seizing two luxury hotels and a Jewish centre.

The nightmare left 187 people, including 22 foreigners, dead and over 300 injured.

Referring to Pakistan's president and prime minister, McCain urged “their cooperation as quickly and as efficiently as possible” in the investigation into the killings.

 

Source : IANS