M A I N   N E W S

Don’t doubt our sincerity to fight terror, Pakistan tells India
Ashok Tuteja/TNS

New Delhi, August 3
Pakistan has told India that it should not doubt Islamabad’s sincerity to combat terrorism, External Affairs Minister SM Krishna said in a suo motu statement in Parliament today on his recent talks with his Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar.

Seeking to dispel the impression that India had gone soft on bringing to justice the perpetrators of the 26/11 attacks, he said he had told Khar that Pakistan must act on dossiers on elements linked to the Mumbai carnage and take “credible action” against ‘jehadi’ leaders such as Hafiz Saeed.

The young Pakistani minister told him that India must have patience, trust and confidence in the judicial process in Pakistan as far as the Mumbai trial was concerned. Pakistan, she said, was not trying to abdicate its responsibility.

With regard to terrorism emanating from the territory under Pakistan’s control, Khar said no country has suffered as much as Pakistan at the hands of terrorists and, therefore, Islamabad’s commitment to fight the menace should not be doubted. “It was not Pakistan’s policy to support terrorism in any country. Pakistan was ready to have a dialogue with India on the issue and there was need for cooperation to combat terrorism,” the Indian minister quoted her as saying.

She also told the Indian minister that there was an opportunity in the new environment of Pakistan and a consensus that it was in Pakistan’s national interest to have good relations with India.

On her meeting with Hurriyat leaders in New Delhi even before her talks with Krishna, she told the Indian minister that Pakistan wanted to engage all stakeholders.

Krishna said the visit of the Pakistani minister was aimed at resolving all outstanding issues through a constructive and forward looking dialogue to establish cooperative and good neighbourly relations between the two countries, in an environment free from terrorism and violence.

“We are committed to build a relationship of trust and mutually beneficial cooperation in conformity with the determination of the people of both countries to see an end to terrorism and violence and to realise their aspirations for peace and development,” he added.