Pak acknowledges India gave "good
clues" on Mumbai attacks
Sunday 18 January, 2009
Acknowledging that the dossier on Mumbai attacks given by India
contained "leads and good clues", Pakistan has promised
fair investigation even if its citizens are suspected and said
its results will be shared with New Delhi first.
Pakistan said it wanted to have an approach of "cooperative
engagement" with India as war is no solution to the problem
of terrorism which is a global phenomenon.
"Quite a lot of material" was provided by India and
the Pakistani investigators will work to convert this into "evidence
that can stand up to judicial scrutiny", Interior Ministry
chief Rahman Malik told a press conference Islamabad.
No case regarding the Mumbai attacks has been registered so far
in Pakistan. "If prima facie evidence is available on record,
we will then convert it into a criminal case," Malik said,
adding the time needed for any prosecution would depend on the
judiciary.
He said the three-member counter-terror team, probing the Mumbai
attack and examining the Indian dossier, has been directed to
submit its preliminary findings within 10 days.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the interior
ministry is examining India's dossier on the Mumbai attacks that
was handed over to Pakistan on 5th January.
"We have said that after examining the dossier, completing
our investigation and examining information from other sources,
we will share our findings with India first," Qureshi said.
Pakistan will pursue an approach of "cooperative engagement"
to deal with any further questions that may arise with regard
to the Mumbai incident, he said.
Asked about BJP's allegation that the Congress was silent in taking
anti-terrorist measures, Mukherjee quipped, "people are daily
watching my statements on this. If this is silence, what will you
call being vocal?"
