Indian PM asks Pakistan to curb militancy

Mumbai:Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday ruled out resuming talks with Pakistan until Islamabad took steps against militants India says were responsible for an assault in Mumbai last November.

"Our minimum demand is that Pakistan must take effective steps to bring the culprits of Mumbai massacre to book before we resume our dialogue," he told a news conference in Chennai.

India had engaged with Pakistan for the last five years until the Mumbai attack, he said.

The man accused of being the lone surviving gunman of the Mumbai attack, in which at least 166 people were killed, said last week he was not guilty of the 86 charges the state has made against him. He faces the death sentence if found guilty.

Police say Mohammed Ajmal Kasab was one of 10 gunmen who landed in Mumbai by boat from Pakistan and rampaged through several of the city's landmarks including the main train station, two luxury hotels and a Jewish Centre over three days.

India has charged 38 people in all in connection with the attack. Most of them live in Pakistan, the government has said.

The attacks on India's financial hub renewed tensions between India and Pakistan, with New Delhi saying state agencies were involved in the attacks. Pakistan has denied the charge.