Pakistan protests with India over bail to Samjhauta blast accused Aseemanand

Islamabad (PTI) : Pakistan today summoned India's Deputy High Commissioner and lodged a protest over Indian government's failure to contest the conditional bail to Swami Assemanand, chargesheeted in connection with the 2007 Samjhauta Express blast that killed 68 people, including 42 Pakistanis. Foreign Office (FO) said that Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh met the Director General (SA& SAARC), who lodged a protest against the decision of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to not oppose the bail granted to Aseemanand on "Special Leave Permission.""The Government of Pakistan has serious reservations on the efficiency of the Court in processing and disposal of cases regarding terrorism, especially those involving deaths of Pakistani citizens," the foreign office said. It said Pakistan expects India



to take steps to bring to justice all those involved in the heinous act of terrorism on the Samjhauta Express, in which 42 Pakistani citizens were killed.The Samjhauta Express, the only rail link between India and Pakistan, was bombed in February, 2007. Four Improvised Explosive Devices were planted on the Samjhauta Express on February 18, 2007, in which 68 lives were lost.The NIA decided not to oppose the conditional bail to Assemanand as it did not find any grounds for it, Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary had informed the Lok Sabha earlier this week. However, Aseemanand, 78, remains in jail in Haryana in connection with two other terror cases.According to the foreign office, no action has been taken by Indian authorities against the mastermind and perpetrator of the dastardly attack.