WORLD> Asia-Pacific
India wants 40 suspects
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-12-12 07:44

NEW DELHI - India wants Pakistan to hand over 40 people it believes are behind militant attacks and other crimes, India's foreign minister said yesterday, but ruled out military action against its neighbor as a solution.

"We have given them lists of 40 persons not one, not 20 - lists of 40 persons and we have also pointed out that their denial is not going to resolve the issue," Pranab Mukherjee told Indian parliament during a debate on the Mumbai attacks.

Indian officials had previously demanded that Pakistan hand over 20 suspected militants, some of them linked to last month's Mumbai attack which killed at least 171.

Asked by an angry lawmaker why India was not attacking Pakistan after so much proof of its complicity in fomenting trouble in India, Mukherjee replied: "That is no solution."

The list includes the founders of at least two Kashmiri militant groups fighting Indian rule in the disputed Himalayan region who New Delhi says have broadened their activity to attack other Indian cities as well.