ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan on Saturday assured India of its cooperation in investigations to unearth militants involved in Wednesday’s triple bombing in Mumbai which claimed 19 lives earlier this week, ahead of foreign-minister level talks between the neighbours.
The reassurance came from Pakistan when Interior Minister Rehman Malik contacted his Indian counterpart Palaniappan Chidambaram in a move to smooth the way for the expected talks scheduled to be held in New Delhi by end of this month.
“Malik assured Pakistan’s fullest assistance to India and was confident that the culprits shall be uncovered and brought to book and hoped that the cooperation and good neighbourly relations between the two governments and nations shall continue,” an interior ministry handout said.
The recent attacks were an effort to sabotage peace talks between the two neighbours, but Indian officials believe that the process of dialogue between the two countries will be continued without any delay, a leading Indian daily said while quoting External Affairs Minister SM Krishna who said a day after the Mumbai blasts, “India and Pakistan talks will take place as scheduled”.
In addition, the Pakistan Foreign Office also confirmed in its weekly press briefing that Islamabad and New Delhi talks will be held as scheduled.
“Pakistan-India Ministerial level meeting will be held at New Delhi at the end of this month but dates are being worked out,” said FO Spokesperson Tehmina Janjua.
Highlighting Pakistan’s condemnation of the recent terror attacks, the Foreign Office spokesperson said both Pakistan and India “have suffered from terrorism and there is a need for greater cooperation to eliminate this common threat”.
Tehmina Janjua said that the working group of Cross-LoC confidence-building measures relating to trade and travel of Kashmiris will meet in New Delhi on July 18. Director-General South Asia Zehra Akbari will lead the Pakistani delegation.
Political analysts from both side hoped that the fresh call of Pakistani Interior Minister to Indian Home Minister is actually the re-assurance for confidence building measures from Islamabad to New Delhi of its support to uncover the militants who were active in the region.
“It’s a good sign as both neighbours have decided not to blame each other until complete investigation done into any terror attack occurred in the region,” said Vinod Sharma, political editor of The Hindustan Times.
“It is a positive gesture on part of Pakistan as one hopes that Islamabad will match its assurance to India with adequate action at its end,” he told The Express Tribune from India on telephone. India and Pakistan should cooperate with each other, if there is any suspicion of involvement of any terror organisation associated with Islamabad or New Delhi, said former Pakistan’s interior secretary Tasneem Noorani.
“Malik’s contact to India Home Minister is reassurance on behalf of Islamabad to New Delhi that Pakistan is sincere to hold talks on all issues related to terrorism,” Noorani told The Express Tribune.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 17th, 2011.
COMMENTS (21)
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@American:
pls do tell exactly how america has wont he war when al-qaeda is still at large and while struggling to stabalise the mess theyv created in afghanistan theyr are trtying to stricke a deal with the taliban (plz note not every taliban is a member of the alqaeda or an extremist group)
dont get me wrong im all for getting the bad guys but ur really wrong if u think america has won some war.. the only reason why theyr withdrawing troops is because they cant fund the expenses with a broken down economy and have finally come to realize that theyv lost the war in afghanistan..
@ Omar , We already defeated Taliban, we are in Afghanistan from last 10 year for the security of our people. Taliban and Pakistan both cannot able to make us leave Afghanistan.
We have dare to go after our Enemy any where in World for the security of our citizen.
You people cannot go in your Border area where Taliban is ruling. can u able to collect tax or can apply any pakistan rules on them?
so who is winning? and if needed will enter in to Pakistan also... we have daring and courage.
we came in to Pakistan for OBL what your army did , nothing..........so who is winning?
@Omar: This is 2011 not 1011
@akash:
here are a few fatcs for u.. the legal/justice system though exists is only to create a hype infront of the media.. otherwise they cant bring justice to ANYONE.....
secondly as much as i do believe all such culprits should be brought to justice via shared intelligence amoungst neighbouring countries... dont trust a word rehman Malik says.. they dont come any more incompetent than that
now coming to the whole whos helping who... hmmm atleast Pakistan is helping.. u should be greatful if nothing else... and before u utter the golden words of "greatful for what exporting millitants to our country" i perhaps shuld point out the flaw in ur argument .... ur intelligence.. and armed forces must be rather incompetent if they werent able to pick up bombings on such a massive scale taking place... and as much as u might want to deny it.. it wont change the facts in this case.. indias security lapses are turning it into an easy target.. hence rather than focuing on pakistan and identifying pakistan as its problems.. perhaps india should first fix her own problems and them by all means continue pointing out pakistans!
@Shruti:
im sorry but your response reflects your lack of maturity.. what action do u suppose two nuclear armed states.. NAY, neighbours should take against each other?
@akash:
here are a few fatcs for u.. and legal/justice system though exists is only to create a hype infront of the media.. otherwise they cant bring justice to ANYONE.....
secondly as much as i do believe all such culprits should be brought to justice via shared intelligence amoungst neighbouring countries... dont trust a word rehman Malik says.. they dont come any more incompetent than that
now coming to the whole whos helping who... hmmm atleast Pakistan is helping.. u should be greatful if nothing else... and before u utter the golden words of "greatful for what exporting millitants to our country" i perhaps shuld point out the flaw in ur argument .... ur intelligence.. and armed forces must be rather incompetent if they werent able to pick up bombings on such a massive scale taking place... and as much as u might want to deny it.. it wont change the facts in this case.. indias security lapses are turning it into an easy target.. hence rather than focuing on pakistan and identifying pakistan as its problems.. perhaps india should first fix her own problems and them by all means continue pointing out pakistans!
@akash: I too am overseas citizen and have a Pakistani wife and many Pakistani friends. And I find no difference between Indians and Pakistani, in many ways we are lot common. Hence what I commented above was on behalf of common people of our countries. I agree to your point that we the common citizens had been let down by years of bad leadership. As much as I got angry on terrorists for mumbai blast, I felt more angry form my government which inspite of hogging billions of rupees is absolutely incapable and un willing to protect it's citizens. In my dear country India, the value of life is cheaper than a piece of bread. And we the common people have accepted it as a way of life. While here abroad we learn to value everything, back home we again become complicit to broken infrastructure, civic and legal systems. Our politicians are not accountable, hopefully the Lok Pal bill drafted by Hazare will be passed and leaders made more accountable for the jobs they are elected for. @Omar: I am sure there are better schools and positive attitude people in Pakistan who can teach you the meaning of "seeking the truth". Instead of just picking a blog and blindly screaming your prejudices here you can as well read other related news to understand Pakistan's current state of affairs. But I can understand if you can't infer reality from conspiracy, since not all are privileged with capability to use basic senses.
@All ------------Why are you guys laughing on this offer? Are you sane, even, don't know how Pakistanis are sincere to establish peace in the region? I believe they are sincere to eliminate terror from the region but it could not be done all alone. Why is India sitting on the fence and is silent spectator in this whole war. It should realize that the day is not far when this terror will be spread in India. God forbid it. India should help Pakistan and Afghanistan to get rid of this evil and menace.
@Omar: Your 1000 years are over. It matters less where you came from. what is important is where are you heading too ... . I could have said a lot of what happened in the last 64 years (including you favorite 1965), but that will not be of any help ... . India had learnt is lesson from the last 1000 years and ensuring its non-occurance. Had Pakistan learnt its lessons? . Remember ... Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it ... . My biggest scare is that Pakistanis can never learn as your (history) text books are misguiding. An honest and patriotic Pakistani must check its recent history from independent sources and not depend on text books or what their army tells them.
@Omar: ya you told the right, muslim fight to die and hence everyday in pakistan there are bomb blast and muslims are killed by fighting. great warriors.
@Omar: Yes I can understand you got degree in Zaid hamid school. 1st thing pushtoons never ruled India. they were part of Mughals army just like hindus. Mughals never ruled entire India. They ruled delhi and surrounding areas. Most of the rajput kings had treaty with them. The only Mughal came to central India is Aurangjeb but he got defeated and died in central India. Indian engineers and workers not only making roads but also institutions, dams, electricity, schools, hospitals etc. so that the afghan people will get on the track. Yes Indians are helping afghan in creating constitution of Afghanistan. Indians have new mantra- Economy.
@American: Look at your self, the Osama Bin LADEN false flag operation you did. First defeat 2000 taliban with ur 150,000 troops and run back to ur country like u lost in vietnam and iraq. u haeve lost!!!!
Does anyone believe he would if he could ?
@delhi se.. I wish what you say/wish comes out to be true.. and i would love to see the day when i am proven wrong.. its just that over the years there is nothing which makes me feel positive.. believe me overseas i have lot of pakistani friends and they are amazing.. most of them.. and I have nothing against ordinary citizens.. i feel like indians they have been let down by their leaders and in big way their army and ISI. I long for peace too.. love their music.. food.. language.. famed hospitality and would love to go there.. but abhi dilli door hai I think.
for Security matter no need help , you have to become strong to secure your nation.If Indian asking help of Pakistan, its fool. What India taking step after 24/11 and after last blast nothing. for your security you have to work hard. like American government did, entered in Afghan, Iraq for the security of their citizen , no compromise..........criminal never listen they always listen weapon sound.
As an Indian, my earnest appeal to sane and reasonable Pakistanis: If you want to help, please pressurize your government to crack down on hate literature, anti-India rhetoric, and arrest terrorists like Said Hafiz, Dawood Ibrahim. This will win over many Indians' hearts. I assure you.
@akash: any word of help is positive. It is good to keep hope alive rather than give up on hope and start a war killing more innocents. I will like to give chance to peace rather than harping on the old tune of past hatred. But that's me, you can continue to be hopeless :)
:-) hehehehe.. ab ye hamari help karenge.. how laughable can this be... or actually even offensive... i mean India has been crying hoarse over the trial of mumbai cuplrits.. there are voice samples that can be given to india or to even 3rd country for neutral verifications.. names are there.. pakistan can send a judical team to India to record statements... and can carry the trial process forward.. we are even happy for trial/justice to be finished in pak courts.. how hard can it be..if you really wanted to help.. it could have been dont long ago..joke.. or incomptency..
.to top it off our PM still wants to continue talks because there is a gun on his head.. if he doesnt then he is embolding hawks of pakistan.. blackmail is the word
the anti India criminals roam freely in pakistan.. and they are saying they want to help.. we have been seeing all this drama for years.. if it was china.. things could have been sorted by pakistanis.. not for India or US(even after paying billions).. then you say we dont like the way US is heavy handed... I mean seriously