Pakistan promises fair probe
Islamabad: Acknowledging that the dossier on Mumbai attacks given by India contained “leads and good clues,” Pakistan on Saturday promised a fair investigation 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 was no solution to the problem of terrorism which was a global phenomenon. “Quite a lot of material” was provided by India and the Pakistani investigators would work to convert this into “evidence that could stand up to judicial scrutiny,” Interior Ministry chief Rahman Malik told a press conference here.
No case regarding the Mumbai attacks had been registered so far in Pakistan. “If prima facie evidence is available on record, we will then convert it into a criminal case,” Mr. 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 dossier, had been directed to submit its preliminary findings within 10 days. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the Interior Ministry was examining India’s dossier on the Mumbai attacks that was handed over to Pakistan on January 5.
“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,” Mr. 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.
Mr. Qureshi said if “any individual or entity linked to Pakistan” wasfound involved in the Mumbai attacks, the government will take action against them according to the country’s law.
Replying to a question in his hometown of Multan, he said the Mumbai incident was not a matter confined to India and Pakistan as nationals of several countries, including the U.S. and Britain, were killed in the attacks.
“We have been successful in conveying our stand that war is not the solution and that terrorism is a global and regional phenomenon. We need a regional approach,” he said. “We don’t want to create war hysteria. The political and military leadership has made measured comments and we will stick to this. We will remain vigilant and it is our endeavour to de-escalate and defuse the situation.”
“No consistency”
He, however, alleged that there was “no consistency” in India’s stance in dealing with the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks.
“There is no consistency in India’s stance,” Mr. Qureshi said, referring to what he described as flip-flops by New Delhi on matters like the involvement of the Pakistani State and its institutions in the Mumbai attacks and the prosecution of suspects. – PTI
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