New Delhi, Feb 12: Amid BJP’s demand that Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik’s passport be revoked for sharing dais with Hafiz Saeed, considered the 26/11 attack mastermind, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid has said the home ministry will take appropriate steps on the matter.
“The home minister has already made a statement. The matter pertains to the home ministry. I’m sure they will take appropriate steps.
 When they do, they will inform us,” Khurshid told a New Delhi-based news channel.
He said Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde Monday said he would apply his mind and have the matter looked into.
Asked about India’s relationship with Pakistan, Khurshid said New Delhi’s approach towards Islamabad was not a confidential matter.
“Our stand on that country is very well known to the public. We have conveyed our strong views to Pakistan on instances of terror. It is a reality that Pakistan is a neighbour and we cannot wish away our neighbour.” But whenever there have been instances of terror activities fomented from across the border India has strongly expressed its views to the neighboring country, he added.
Malik, a Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leader, was seen seated next to Saeed, chief of Jamaat-ud-Dawa, at a rally against execution of Afzal Guru, a convict in the Indian parliament attack case, in Islamabad in Pakistan Sunday.
Saeed is considered to have planned the Nov 26, 2008 Mumbai terror attacks in which 166 people were killed.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Rajnath Singh said the government should “seriously” take cognizance of Malik sharing the dais with Saeed.
“The government should seriously take cognizance of this. It’s not a small issue. I expect this much from the government,” Singh told reporters here.
BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu also criticized the government, saying Malik’s passport should be revoked immediately.
BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said it was home ministry’s mistake to allow Malik to go to Pakistan and the party would raise the issue on all forums.

WILL IMPOUND HIS PASSPORT IF ASKED: MEA
Meanwhile, the Union ministry of external affairs ministry on Tuesday said if it receives a request for impounding Malik’s passport it would “act on it”.
The external affairs ministry said: “If we receive a request to impound his (Malik) passport, we will act on it.”
Ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said the passport was given to Malik, chief of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), after getting a “no objection” from other Indian ministries and agencies.
“When violation (of provisions of passport) is indicated, when it is brought to our notice, we will act,” he said, adding that the government would act with Malik “as fit of a citizen of India”.
Malik has said that Saeed was on the stage for 10 minutes and they did not exchange any words.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 12 Feb 2013 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 12 Feb 2013 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:00:00 IST