India will ‘protect its territorial integrity’, says FM
Posted: 09:58 AM ET
NEW DELHI, India CNN) — India’s government will consider all options “to
protect its territorial integrity” if Pakistan refuses to hand over a group of
wanted terrorist suspects, India’s foreign minister said Wednesday.

“So far as the government of India is concerned, what action will be
taken will depend on the response we have (from Pakistan),” Pranab Mukherjee
said at a joint news conference with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

India recently renewed its demand that Pakistan arrest the suspected
Islamic militant leaders, who have been on India’s most wanted list for some
time. New Delhi believes the group — which includes the leader of the al
Qaeda-linked terror group Lashkar-e-Tayyiba — helped plot last week’s attacks
on Mumbai that left 179 dead.

Pakistan has denied any involvement and vowed to help in the
investigation.

Last week’s coordinated strike on Mumbai has threatened the already
fragile relationship between India and Pakistan, both nuclear powers and key
allies of the United States.

At the news conference, Rice vowed to “work very closely with (India) in
any way we can to try to get to the bottom of what happened.”