Islamabad, July 12 (ANI): Rejecting the notion that it is not sincere in conducting its investigations into the Mumbai attack, Pakistan has blamed India for the delay in the probe.

Addressing a press conference here, the Prime Minister’s Advisor on Interior Affairs, Rehman Malik, said the trial of the Mumbai attack suspects would commence from July 18.

Malik claimed that the delay into the investigations was on the part of India, and that Islamabad has completed the probe much faster than New Delhi.

“India took 90 days to complete the investigations and submit a challan, while Pakistan submitted it just in 76 days,” he said.

Malik said every possible step was taken to ensure a fair and extensive probe, and added that Pakistani agencies left no stone unturned in the probe.

“Pakistani intelligence agencies worked hard to dig out the case and collect evidences and now no one could say that Pakistan was not conducting the investigations seriously,”The Nation quoted Malik, as saying.

He added that further investigations would continue.

Malik said five accused have been arrested so far while 13 others have been declared proclaimed offenders.

The arrested accused included Zakiur Rehman, the mastermind of the attack, Hamid Amin, Mazhar Iqbal, facilitators, Abdul Wajid, facilitator and an expert of computer network, and Shahid Jamil Riaz.

Commenting on the Samjhauta Express blast, Malik said the probe into that incident is as important as the November 2008 Mumbai terror attack, as a large number of Pakistani civilians were killed in it.

India has reacted strongly to Pakistan’s accusations.

Junior Foreign Minister Preneet Kaur rejected Islamabad’s charge that New Delhi has delayed in providing information.

“This is totally untrue and we (Indian authorities) have produced whatever we had,” Preneet Kaur told reporters in New Delhi.

“In fact even on the Samjhauta Express, the people who masterminded it were from Karachi and we have told that to them. They are sending us a dossier this evening, once it arrives our government will look at it and examine it,” she added. (ANI)