'India should clinch Hafiz Saeed issue before talks with Pak'

In the backdrop of Pakistan saying it lacked adequate evidence against Mumbai terror attacks accused Hafiz Saeed, BJP today asked the government to "clinch" the issue of Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief before resuming talks with Islamabad.

In the backdrop of Pakistan saying it lacked adequate evidence against Mumbai terror attacks accused Hafiz Saeed, BJP on Tuesday asked the government to "clinch" the issue of Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief before resuming talks with Islamabad.

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"Before resuming dialogue with Pakistan the issue relating to Saeed needs to be clinched as it is an example of how Pakistan is trying to be soft on people who are encouraging terrorism," former BJP president M Venkaiah Naidu told reporters in New Delhi.

Saeed is accused of masterminding the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks last year.

Hours before the foreign secretaries of the two countries meet in Egypt, the Punjab government in Pakistan today informed the country's Supreme Court that it wanted to withdraw its petition challenging a lower court's order that released Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief from detention, saying it did not have adequate evidence against him.

Following the development, Naidu accused Islamabad of often indulging in "goodie-goodie talks" but not implementing its assurances given to New Delhi on the issue of terrorism.

"Even today terrorism is being encouraged, funded and aided from across the border...It is to everybody's knowledge," he added.