Pakistan questions key militants

Troops battled for three days to regain control of Mumbai

Pakistan's prime minister has confirmed police are questioning two militants of the group India says was behind the deadly attacks in Mumbai (Bombay).

Yousuf Raza Gilani said Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and Zarrar Shah were being questioned in the city of Multan.

Earlier, India demanded that the UN ban the Jamaat-ud-Dawa group, believed to be a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Pakistan has been under intense pressure to act after the attacks, which left at least 170 people dead.

However, Mr Gilani denied he was responding to Indian pressure.

He said: "Whatever action we take will be in the interest of the country and its people.

Not only are the terrorists not linked to Pakistan in any way, we too are their targets and we too continue to be their victims Abdullah Hussain Haroon, Pakistan's UN ambassador Pakistan's surprise raid on Lashkar Peaceful school or terror base?

"If Indian intelligence send us their findings we will investigate accordingly. Until then we cannot comment."

The PM said the arrests showed that Pakistan was doing all it could to track down the attackers.

"It is a good message for our neighbourly countries and for the whole world... that Pakistan is a responsible nation."

However, there is confusion over whether the founder of another militant group, Jaish-e-Mohammad, had been held.

Mr Gilani said "we have yet to receive any report" of Masood Azhar's detention, contradicting what his defence minister had said on Tuesday.

Mr Azhar is one of the most wanted men in India and is reportedly on a list of people Delhi has demanded Pakistan hand over.

Islamabad has said that any of its citizens believed to be involved in the attacks will be tried in Pakistan.

Photos and names

Pakistani intelligence officials have said that about a dozen people have been held in a number of raids since the weekend.

The biggest was on Sunday on a Lashkar-e-Taiba camp near Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

TEN NAMED GUNMEN Nasir, alias Abu Umar (above, Nariman House) Abu Ali (Taj Palace) Soheb (Taj Palace) Fahad Ullah (Oberoi) Azam Amir Qasab (survived) Bada Abdul Rehaman (Taj Palace) Abdul Rehaman Chota (Oberoi) Ismal Khan (CST station) Babar Imaran (Nariman House) Nazir, alias Abu Omer (Taj Palace)

The US last week urged Pakistan to co-operate with India in the investigation into the Mumbai attacks.

India says the sole surviving gunman named Mr Lakhvi as one of the planners.

Mumbai police on Tuesday released names of the nine suspected militants killed in the attacks, along with photographs of eight. The police said all were from Pakistan.

Earlier, India urged the UN Security Council to ban Jamaat-ud-Dawa.

India's junior foreign minister E Ahamed said he had asked the UN Security Council "to proscribe the Pakistani group Jamaat-ud-Dawa since it is a terrorist outfit".

"All those who were in any way responsible for the Mumbai terrorist attacks, wherever they may be, should be brought to justice," he said.

Mr Ahamed said India had acted "with restraint in the face of terrorist attacks", but it might be compelled to take action in future.

"We must do our duty by our people and take all actions as we deem fit to defend and protect them," he said.

Reports say Pakistan has already ordered the sealing of some offices used by Jamaat-ud-Dawa.

Pakistan's UN ambassador Abdullah Hussain Haroon said he was a "a little surprised" at the force of the statement of the Indian minister.

He said India and Pakistan should "stop all negative campaigns against each other".

Mr Haroon said Pakistan was ready to co-operate with India in the investigation.

"Not only are the terrorists not linked to Pakistan in any way, we too are their targets and we too continue to be their victims," he told the Security Council.