'Pakistan known for its denials, must hand over 26/11 attack masterminds': Defence expert

Defence expert Sanjeev Srivastava on Wednesday said that Pakistan is long known for its denial over the presence of terrorists in its boundaries.

Reiterating the remarks made by Indian Ambassador to Israel, JP Singh over "Pakistan must hand over 26/11 Mumbai terror attack", Defence expert Sanjeev Srivastava on Wednesday said that Pakistan is long known for its denial over the presence of terrorists in its boundaries.

"If Pakistan is smart enough to act against terrorism, they can hand over the masterminds of the Mumbai attacks to India. And if they do so, relations between both countries can improve," Srivastava told ANI.

However, Srivastava expressed doubt about Pakistan's willingness to cooperate.

"Pakistan is known for its denials. It has consistently refused to acknowledge that terrorists involved in the Mumbai attacks are being sheltered on its soil. They even claimed Sajid Mir was dead, only to later say he is alive," he noted.

Reiterating Singh's call, Srivastava pointed out that Pakistan has taken no credible action against key figures such as Hafiz Saeed, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, and Sajid Mir despite clear evidence. "The denials by Pakistan have been going on for long. There is very little hope they will act on Ambassador Singh's suggestion," he said.

Earlier, Ambassador JP Singh in an interview had questioned as to why Pakistan cannot hand over terrorists just the way United States did recently following the extradition of Tahawwur Hussain Rana, who was involved in the Mumbai attacks. 

Singh emphasised that India has repeatedly conveyed to Pakistan that any improvement in ties is only possible when Islamabad takes irreversible, verifiable, and credible action against terrorism.

At the same time, Defence expert Sanjeev Srivastava highlighted India's growing strategic strength, pointing to the unmatched power of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 and struck nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir in response to a ghastly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam last month in which 26 people were killed.

Earlier, Ethiopian Ambassador to India, Fesseha Shawel Gebre, strongly condemned the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, squarely blaming Pakistan for orchestrating the violence that killed 26 civilians while appreciating India's response on the matter.

Ambassador praised India's "responsible" response and highlighted the shared fight against terrorism between Ethiopia and India, noting that a delegation from India is expected to visit Ethiopia by the end of May to brief on the attack.