Share evidence on Mumbai terror attacks: Pak tells India

Islamabad, Dec 12 (PTI) In the face of India's strong
demand to Pakistan to crackdown on the perpetrators of the
Mumbai terror attacks, Islamabad has asked New Delhi to share
information that it has as without evidence it cannot move
ahead with the probe.

A "sustained and pragmatic cooperation" between the two
sides was needed to proceed ahead with the investigations on
the Mumbai terror attacks, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah
Mahmood Qureshi has said.

Speaking hours after the Pakistan government banned
the Jamaat, put its chief Hafiz Mohammed Saeed under house
arrest and sealed several offices of the terrorist group
across the country, Qureshi said India had so far not shared
any information or evidence on the attacks despite requests
from Pakistan.

"Any criminal investigation proceeds from the scene of
crime to the criminal...Pakistan has repeatedly underscored
the need for serious, sustained and pragmatic cooperation
between Pakistan and India to combat terrorism in either
country," Qureshi said in a statement Thursday.

India has blamed Pakistan-based LeT and its front
organisation Jamaat-ud-Dawah for planning and carrying out the
Mumbai attacks on November 26 that killed 179 180 people.

He said Pakistan had also proposed the establishment of
a joint commission and the launching of a joint investigation
"in an earnest effort to move forward in an area which equally
concerns both Pakistan and India".

"However, our own investigations cannot proceed beyond a
certain point without provision of credible information and
evidence pertaining to Mumbai attacks. Despite our requests,
no evidence or information has been shared with the government
by India so far," Qureshi said.

Pakistan has also initiated the process to comply with
the listing of the Jamaat-ud-Dawah, "certain other trusts as
well as individuals" as terrorists and terror groups by a
sanctions committee of the UN Security Council. These entities
and individuals include the Lashker-e-Taiba and
Jamaat-ud-Dawah, the Pakistan Foreign Minister said.

Referring to the "spate of allegations concerning the
involvement of certain individuals of Pakistani origin in
Mumbai terrorist attacks", Qureshi said the government had
"already initiated investigations on its own".

"It is the firm conviction of Pakistan not to allow
its territory to be used for any act of terrorism. Pakistan
itself has been a victim of terrorism," he claimed.

Pakistan has pledged to act against any of its
nationals found to be involved in the attacks. On Sunday,
Pakistan launched a crackdown on the LeT and arrested over
20 of its members, including Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the alleged
mastermind of the Mumbai attacks. PTI