Brussels, Mar. 23 : The US Special Envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke has said that the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attack and the 9/11 are in Pakistan.

Addressing delegates at the Brussels Forum, Holbrooke said that the assassinators of the former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto are also present in the country itself.

"They're in Pakistan. In the western tribal areas, although it also extends down into Balochistan," The Nation quoted Holbrooke, as saying.

He said that the United States considers India as an important ally in its `war on terror' in Afghanistan even though New Delhi is not directly related to the core of the issue.

"India is not part of the problem but they're certainly a major factor in resolving the situation in Afghanistan. India is a great regional power, so we consult India closely every step of the way," Holbrooke added. (ANI)