Mumbai attacks: Zardari says Pak 'net loser' of situation

New York, Dec 14 (PTI) Describing Pakistan's people and
government as the "net losers" of the situation arising out of
the Mumbai attacks, President Asif Ali Zardari has said his
country had put in "a lot of effort" for good relations with
India, which were now witnessing heightened tensions.

Pakistan needed real time intelligence from other
countries to move faster against terrorists, he said adding
that many of those now saying that they knew about the
possibility of the Mumbai attacks never shared the information
with Islamabad.

"I've heard that the Russians told the Indians (about
Mumbai attacks), but I wish the Russians had also shared it
with us," Zardari said in an interview to 'Newsweek'.

Asked whether he would do something if all terrorists
involved in the Mumbai attacks were found to be trained in
Pakistan, he replied, "definitely, not for them (Indians).
It's for myself."

"The Indians must understand that the government (of
Pakistan) and the people of Pakistan are net losers of the
situation. We had put in a lot of effort ... to make good
relations with India," Zardari said.

He also rejected the suggestion that the ISI now had any
links with Lashkar-e-Toiba, blamed for the Mumbai attacks.

"We are talking about an age-old situation. This is
something (that happened) in the old days when dictators used
to run the country. May be before 9/11 (attacks in the US),
that may have been a position. (But) since then, things have
changed to a great extent," Zardari said.

There is no supportive interaction between Pakistani
intelligence and the LeT, which is a banned organisation in
Pakistan, he claimed.

Zardari insisted that Islamabad would not concede to the
Indian demand that it hand over those suspected in the
"horrific" Mumbai attacks.

The two countries do have that kind of relationship, he
said, adding that such a decision has to be made by Parliament
and not by the President.

Zardari also said India has not shared all information
about the terrorists being trained in Pakistan. He does not
have "specific information" that all the terrorists who
attacked Mumbai were trained in Pakistan because Indians have
given "very little" information, Zardari said.

"I have offered to the Indians that we will do a joint
investigation into Mumbai incident and if it leads anywhere,
we will take action," he said.
Zardari also denied that US Secretary of State

Condoleezza Rice had demanded that former ISI chief Hamid Gul,
allegedly having links with Taliban and al-Qaeda, be arrested.

"Hamid Gul is an actor who definitely is not in our good
books. Hamid Gul is somebody who was never appreciated by our
government," he said, adding, however, that Rice did not go
into the specifics.

Besides, Gul is not accused in the Mumbai incident and "I
think he is more a political ideologue that a physical
supporter," he said.

Zardari parried the question whether Rice had demanded
that Pakistan do something about the Mumbai attacks and arrest
some people.

"She is a friend and she knows Pakistan is a responsible
state, and the Americans and the British know how much my
government has done for this operation ... against the
terrorists since we've been in government," he said.

Asked whether India has problem with its own Muslims,
Zardari said he is not pointing fingers as he wants to improve
relations with India.

"I want to be a friend of India and a friend of the world
and (a foe of terrorism) because I am victim myself," he said,
referring to the assassination of his wife, former Prime
Minister Benazir Bhutto, in December last year.

"There is always room for improvement on every side.
There is room for the world to help me with the present
situation in Pakistan, where poverty is a friend of the
terrorists. I need to become economically better so I can
employ these youths that (the terrorists) are employing," he
said.

Replying to a question, Zardari "totally denied" the
ISI's involvement in the attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul
in July this year.

"No, we had no information from Americans," he replied
when told that the US intelligence reportedly had evidence of
the ISI's involvement in the bombing of the embassy. Those are
"non-State actors," he said.

To another question, the Pakistan President asserted that
the country's army is under the "democratic government" and
his administration maintains that intelligence agencies should
have nothing to do with politics.

"Since we are in government, we have had a stated
position that ISI has no political role any more," he added.
PTI DS
RKM