'India has given sufficient evidence to Pakistan on Mumbai attack'

NEW DELHI: India has given sufficient evidence against the conspirators of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack and Pakistan must realise that it is in its national interest and for its own credibility that action is taken against JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, Congress leader Anand Sharma today said.

"India has given sufficient evidence in the dossiers against the conspirators of the Mumbai terror attack. If Pakistan was sincere in ensuring prosecution and conviction, then the evidence is adequate. Pakistan must realise that it is in its own national interest and for its own credibility that action is taken.

"It has already been delayed much and in the long run, it will hurt Pakistan itself. It is important that for the restoration of some trust and understanding and to create peace in the region, action is taken against Hafiz Saeed, action is taken against all the terror outfits and the terror syndicates operating from the soil of Pakistan must be dismantled," Sharma said.

His remarks come a day after Pakistan asked India to provide "concrete evidence" against JuD chief Hafiz Saeed if it was "serious" about its allegations against him.

Saeed and four other Jamaat-ud Dawa leaders - Abdullah Ubaid, Zafar Iqbal, Abdur Rehman Abid and Qazi Kashif Niaz - were put under house arrest after an order was issued by Punjab Province's Interior Ministry in pursuance to a directive from the Federal Interior Ministry on January 27.

On the H1B issue, Sharma said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi must protect the interest of Indian IT professionals and students and US president Donald Trump must be "made" to realise that Indian IT professionals are not immigrants and are skilled workers who have gone there temporarily.

Sharma said that he along with his party expressed concern right after Modi had a telephonic conversation with Trump.

"Prime Minister must protect the interest of Indian IT professionals and Indian students, both of whom will be adversely affected by the new bills and moves of US administration - one is on H1B visas. Our IT companies will find it difficult to work there.

"The doubling of the salaries in this proposal and making that mandatory will not allow our IT professionals to get H1B visas. It will be counterproductive for US in the long run because Indian IT professionals are not immigrants and this the American president should be made to realise. They are skilled workers. They are temporarily going to America," he said.