New Delhi, Aug 3 (IANS) Seeking to dispel the impression that India has gone soft on the 26/11 terror trial by Pakistan, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna Wednesday said he last week asked his Pakistani counterpart to act on dossiers on elements linked to the Mumbai terror attack and take "credible action" against Islamist militant leaders such as Hafiz Saeed.
In a statement to the Lok Sabha on talks with Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, Krishna said he asked Pakistan "to investigate the linkages with some elements in the Pakistani security agencies that had emerged from the evidence presented in the Tahawwur Rana trial in the US".
Last month, a US jury cleared Pakistan-born Canadian Rana of the charge that he helped in the 26/11 Mumbai attack but convicted him of supporting the Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Islamist militant group New Delhi blames for the carnage.
Krishna told the Lok Sabha: "I called for credible and effective action against jihadi leaders such as Hafiz Saeed and terrorist groups such as Jamaat-ud-Daawa and Lashkar-e-Taiba, who continue to incite violence and hatred against India," said Krishna.
Krishna told parliament that during his talks with Khar he "underscored the importance that we attach to the fulfilment of commitments made by Pakistan during the home/interior secretary-level talks in March on the trial and investigation, under way in Pakistan, in the Mumbai attack case".
"I requested Pakistan to act on the assurance given to our home minister by Pakistan interior minister in June 2010 on the dossiers regarding seven individuals and the need to provide voice samples," he added.
Krishna was responding to criticism among some sections after last week's talks with Khar that India did not press Pakistan sufficiently hard to push the trial of terrorists linked to the Nov 26-28 terror attack.
Critics seized upon a para in the July 27 joint statement to buttress their point that India had gone soft on the 26/11 trial which was seen by some as moving painfully slowly.
The ministers reviewed the status of bilateral relations and expressed satisfaction on the holding of meetings on the issues of counter-terrorism (including progress on the Mumbai terror trial) and narcotics control, read the joint statement.
The ministry had since clarified that India had expressed satisfaction over the holding of meetings and not on the progress on the Mumbai attack trial.
Underlining that the talks were held "in a candid, friendly and positive atmosphere", Krishna said that Pakistan's foreign minister requested India to "have patience, trust and confidence in the process" of the Mumbai terror attack trial.
"According to her, Pakistan was not trying to abdicate responsibility," Krishna said.
"On the issue of terrorism emanating from territory under Pakistan's control, she said that no country had suffered as much as Pakistan at the hands of terrorists, and therefore Pakistan's commitment to fight terrorism should not be doubted," he added.
Krishna and Khar held wide-ranging talks here July 27 to ease trust deficit and announced a host of confidence-building measures to expand trade and travel across the two divided halves of Kashmir.