Muslim group trains guns on Pakistan

In a blunt message to Pakistan after the Mumbai strike, the All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, an umbrella body of Muslim socioreligious organisations, has asked Islamabad to stop “shedding crocodile tears for Indian Muslims’’. In a resolution, Mushawarat slammed attempts to link the Mumbai attacks to the alleged “injustices meted out to Indian Muslims’’. “Indian Muslims are capable of fighting their battle for justice and equality within the constitutional framework of India and no outside power, especially Pakistan, should shed crocodile tears for us,’’ Mushawarat president Zafar-ul Islam Khan said. He said the Pakistani government, terrorist organisations in that country or anyone else responsible for the attacks should be made to pay the price. “Investigations should focus on all possible internal and external players who have an interest in destabilising India and are beneficiaries of the crime,’’ the Mushawarat resolved. The resolution said Mushawarat appreciates the UNSC’s move to ban Pakistan-based outfits. It also appreciated the authorities and the media for refraining from giving a communal tinge to the Mumbai attacks. In another resolution on general elections, it asked Muslims to plan, coordinate, and work to benefit from the democratic process. “Muslims should think of forming state-level fronts in cooperation with secular forces to raise Muslim strength in state assemblies and Parliament,’’ it said, while welcoming “the healthy trend of record participation in J&K elections’’. It asked the Centre to work for a negotiated settlement to Kashmir problem with Pakistan as well as local bodies.