Washington : After Pakistani authorities reportedly rejected the demand of the United States to hand over the suspected 26/11 masterminds to India, American officials are believed to have changed tack and asked Islamabad to ensure that the perpetrators of the carnage are tried and punished in Pakistan.
Reports in the Pakistani electronic and print media quoted diplomatic sources as saying that Washington has told Islamabad that it wants "prosecution [of the 26/11 masterminds] with sufficient efforts to ensure conviction". This, according to official sources, indicates a clear change in the US attitude.
Washington had earlier backed New Delhis demand that a few suspects, especially Lashkar-e-Taiba commanders Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi and Zarar Shah, be handed over to India.
During the negotiations with US officials, Islamabad insisted that handing over Pakistanis to India could have unpredictable consequences for the civilian government, particularly when the two countries do not have an extradition treaty.
Indirectly admitting pressure from the army and the spy agency ISI, Pakistan argued that the resulting political instability could also harm the US war against the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
