India says Pakistan trying to politicise Samjhauta Express blast verdict to deflect attention from failure to act against terrorists

New Delhi: India on Friday accused Pakistan of trying to politicise the court verdict in Samjhauta Express terror case to “deflect” attention from its “failure” to bring perpetrators of several terror attacks in India and the region to justice.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said there was a complete lack of understanding on the Pakistani side about how India’s independent judiciary functions.

On Wednesday, a special court in Panchkula in Haryana  acquitted all four accused , including Swami Aseemanand, in the case. Sixty-eight people, mostly Pakistanis, were killed in the terror attack on Samjhauta Express in February, 2007.

On 20 March, Pakistan foreign office summoned the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad to protest against the verdict.

“We reject Pakistan’s attempt to politicise the matter. It is being done to deflect attention from their failure in bringing perpetrators of several terrorist attacks in India and the region to justice,” Kumar said at a media briefing.

He said due process was followed in the case and the court has given the verdict based on materials available to it.

“We respect the verdict of the court. We got no cooperation whatsoever from Pakistan including our request to serve summons to witnesses who are in Pakistan,” Kumar said.

“We demand that Pakistan should take immediate, credible and irreversible measures against cross-border terrorism without any discrimination,” he added.