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| India will punish Samjhauta attackers, says government | | | New Delhi | Feb 19
India Monday "strongly condemned" the blasts in the link train of Samjhauta Express that killed at least 66 people and said it was investigating the incident "to bring to justice the perpetrators of this heinous act."
Reacting to Pakistan's contention that it was India's responsibility to ensure safety of passengers of the train in its territory, New Delhi underlined that its "immediate priority was to deal with the humanitarian consequences of the tragedy."
"We convey our heartfelt condolences to the victims of this gruesome tragedy. Government will make every effort to bring to justice the perpetrators of this heinous act," external affairs ministry spokesperson Navtej Sarna said in a statement read out to the press.
"The dead include a number of Pakistanis, many of them burnt beyond recognition. They are being identified with the help of Pakistani authorities," Sarna said. However, he did not have the exact number of Indians and Pakistanis killed in the deadly blasts aimed at derailing the three-year-old peace process between the two neighbours.
Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon met Home Secretary V.K. Duggal and discussed the larger implications of the blasts and the issuance of visas to relatives of Pakistani victims.
The passport numbers of the passengers in the unreserved coaches affected by the explosions have been sent to Pakistani authorities for assistance in identifying the dead, Sarna said.
Two officials from Pakistan Railways are expected to arrive in Attari to assist the passengers who are already there.
A five-member team from the Pakistan high commission here has gone to Diwana to make an on-the-spot assessment of the situation in the aftermath of the twin blasts. Afridi, counsellor (political) in the Pakistan high commission, is heading the team to help the victims.
The Indian mission in Islamabad will process visas quickly for relatives of the dead and injured which will set up a visa camp in Lahore for this purpose.
"We will also arrange for their travel from Attari/Wagah to Panipat and Delhi," Sarna added.
Pakistan has condemned the blasts on the train near Panipat as an "act of terrorism."
"We expect the Indian government to conduct investigation into the incident and punish those responsible for this," said Tasnim Aslam, spokesperson of Pakistan Foreign Office in Islamabad.
"We condemn this act of terrorism in which many precious lives have been lost," she said.
The blasts have elicited strong condemnation in India from an entire spectrum of leadership, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
Indian railway authorities Monday allowed the passengers in the remaining eight coaches to continue their journey to Attari and Lahore after a thorough check.
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