'Will not allow terror elements on Pak soil'

Islamabad, Dec 4: In a meeting with US Secretary to State Condoleezza Rice, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari said that tough action will be taken against the terror elements in Pak soil. He also said that Pakistan is ready to co-operate with India in Mumbai terror attack probe.

"Pakistan is ready to cooperate with the investigations into the Mumbai terror attacks. We will take strong action against anyone found involved in attacks," said Asif Ali Zardari. Earlier in a strong message to Pakistan, Rice had asked to take tough stand against terrorism. She demanded a 'robust response' in bringing perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks to justice.

Condoleezza Rice, who flew in to Pakistan after meeting top Indian leaders in New Delhi, said she was not 'carrying messages' but going to talk about the 'Pakistani response'. She also emphasised the importance of prevention of terror strikes in Pakistan.

She said, "The Pakistanis are sophisticated; they have been dealing with terrorism themselves for sometime. So I am going there to talk about a Pakistani response, not to carry messages."

Meanwhile sources say, that India suspects two top leaders of a banned Pak militant outfit planned and executed the three-day seige in Mumbai that killed 200 people. Evidence points to the involvement of Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and Yusuf Muzammil as masterminds behind last week's bloody rampage in Mumbai, according to two government officials familiar with the matter.

Both leaders belong to Pak based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Toiba which India blames is behind the last week's Mumbai terror attacks. Lakhvi was identified as the group's operations chief and Muzammil as its operations chief in Kashmir and other parts of India.

It is learnt that the only surviving militant caught by the police during the Mumbai terror strikes, Azam Amar Kasav have told officials that Lakhvi have recruited him and the assailants called Muzammil on a satellite phone after hijacking an Indian vessel en route to Mumbai.

OneIndia News (With inputs from agencies)