Pakistan's interior minister says the trial of five men accused ofinvolvement in last year's deadly attacks in the Indian city of Mumbaiwill likely begin next week.
Rehman Malik told reporters onSaturday that Pakistan's investigation into the role of the accused isnearly complete and that based on the evidence, "the culprits will bepunished."
The interior minister also rejected India'sallegations that Pakistan was not serious about carrying out itsinvestigation into the terror attacks that killed 166 people lastNovember in India's financial hub. He said Pakistan went the "extramile" in its probe.
India blames the assault on militants trained in Pakistan.
Earlieron Saturday, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told the Press Trustof India news agency he hoped Pakistan would take credible actionagainst perpetrators of the Mumbai attack.
Mr. Singh is set to meet his Pakistani counterpart for talks next week in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
Pakistan'sinterior minister says one of the five suspects, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi,has been charged with masterminding the attacks.
Pakistan isstill searching for at least a dozen other suspects in the case. Malikcalled on India to provide additional information, including astatement from the lone surviving suspected gunman, Mohammed AjmalKasab. The Pakistani national is on trial in Mumbai for murder and"waging war" against India.
Indian security forces killed nineother gunmen during the 60-hour siege and arrested Kasab, who New Delhisays is a member of the Pakistani militant group, Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Indiaalso has suggested Pakistani government agents were involved in theattack. Pakistan denies the allegation, which has heightened tensionsbetween the neighbors.