Pak says it's ready to deepen engagement with India on terror

 

New Delhi, November 28, 2008
India Govt.in

Pakistan expressed its readiness "to deepen its engagement with India, including on combating terrorism" but said it was "important to avoid blame game and knee-jerk reactions" with regard to the terror attacks in Mumbai.

Terrorism is a global problem that "needs to be combated in all its forms and manifestations through serious, sustained and pragmatic steps", said a statement issued late on Friday night by the Foreign Office in Islamabad.

"Pakistan is prepared to deepen its engagement with India, including on combating terrorism. It is, however, important to avoid blame game and knee jerk reactions," the statement said.

The Foreign Office statement noted that Pakistan had strongly condemned the "horrific" terrorist attacks in Mumbai "at the highest levels" and President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had "conveyed to the Indian leadership our sense of shock and deep sorrow on the loss of life".

The statement was issued hours after both Zardari and Gilani telephoned Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and offered Pakistan's assistance in probing the attacks. They also refuted comments by Indian leaders linking Pakistan to the attacks.

Gilani also accepted Singh's request to send the chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence to India for sharing information on the Mumbai attacks. The statement said the Director General of ISI will visit India in this regard.

"We are confident that the government of India will respond positively to Pakistan's offer to cooperate in the investigation of the Mumbai attacks. It is in the interest of Pakistan and India to enhance multi-track cooperation in anti-terrorism," it added.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, currently visiting India for peace talks, has conveyed "in unequivocal terms" to the Indian leadership " the abhorrence and distress of the government and people of Pakistan at these dastardly attacks", the statement said.’

The statement also noted the telephone calls made to Singh by Zardari and Gilani, who "reiterated Pakistan's strong condemnation and indignation on the terrorist attacks in Mumbai and expressed Pakistan's readiness to extend every assistance and cooperation that the government of India may require in investigating these incidents".

It said Pakistan had proposed "closer intelligence cooperation and meetings between the intelligence chiefs of the two countries".

Pakistan and India have established mechanisms of cooperation for combating terrorism, including a Joint Anti-Terrorism Mechanism (JATM).

A meeting of the JATM held in New Delhi in October had decided to make the body "more effective", the statement said.

Anti-terrorism cooperation is also part of the composite dialogue process. Both countries have broad-ranging cooperation on a range of issues related to terrorism, crime and drug trafficking.

The meeting of the home secretaries of the two countries held in Islamabad during 25th to 26th November was "productive", the statement said.

"It was decided that severe action will be taken against any elements involved in terrorist attacks," it added.

The statement also said Pakistan was a victim of terrorism and had ongoing cooperation in combating terror with several countries of the world.