India 'open' to Pak proposal, wants written request

NEW DELHI (Agencies) A day after Pakistan proposed setting up of a commission for conducting the 26/11 trial, New Delhi has said it has asked Islamabad to send request in writing. The Indian government sources told NDTV on Sunday that India has no problem in cooperating in this arrangement since Delhi had already agreed to let its officials depose through video conferencing. As of now it is just a verbal proposal, and it is the Pakistani court which will have to decide on appointing the commission, the sources said. Pak government is likely to take the matter to court on Monday (today), they added. On Saturday, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, who had a meeting with Indian High Commissioner Sharat Sabharwal in Islamabad, contended that the trial of the suspects has run into problems over the issue of Indian witnesses testifying via video-conferencing as this is not allowed under Pakistani laws. But the Indian govt sources criticised the statement saying, this stratagem is another form of delaying tactics and the written request is not likely to be received before Thursday-Friday.

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