UN chief Ban Ki-moon calls for bringing 26/11 perpetrators to justice

As India today marked the fifth anniversary of the 26/11 terror attacks, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called for the perpetrators of the Mumbai carnage to be brought to justice as soon as possible.

Ban's spokesperson Martin Nesirky said shortly after the Mumbai attacks in 2008, the Secretary-General had called the violence totally unacceptable and reiterated his conviction that no cause or grievance can justify indiscriminate attacks against civilians.

Ban had said that the perpetrators of the attack should be brought to justice swiftly, a call that he repeated during his visit to India last year.

"Needless to say, the Secretary-General's views on the need for justice remain unchanged," Nesirky told PTI.

Earlier, Nesirky said that it is "important" that the perpetrators of the "terrible crime" should be brought to justice.

The 26/11 terror attacks, in which 166 people were killed, was a "terrible crime, an awful terrorist attack," he said.

Nesirky asserted that "certainly, it is important that those who were responsible are brought to justice. There has already been some action in that regard."

A commemorative event marking the fifth anniversary of the Mumbai attacks was organised in New York today by the American India Public Affairs Committee along with the American Jewish Committee Asia Pacific Region.

Five years ago, 10 LeT terrorists launched coordinated attacks across key locations in Mumbai killing 166 people, including American citizens.

India has demanded that the perpetrators of the Mumbai carnage should be brought to justice and Pakistan should swiftly conclude the 26/11 trial of the accused.

It feels Pakistan is not making any progress in its investigation of the attack and those responsible for it.

In a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had demanded effective action to bring to justice the perpetrators of 26/11 terror attack.

Sharif had told Singh that action would be taken against the perpetrators.