Pak seeks international help to calm tensions with India

Islamabad, Dec 27: Following growing International pressure to bring the Mumbai carnage suspects to book, Pakistan on Friday, Dec 26 went into diplomatic overdrive and sought international intervention to cool down the situation that has rapidly deteriorated between the two countries in the past week. Pakistan's foreign Secretary, Salman Bashir's, diplomatic drive included meetings with the ambassadors of the US, Russia, Germany, Iran and Japan and the high commissioners of India and the UK, the Daily Times reported.

Bashir reportedly told diplomats that Pakistan had taken all necessary measures against Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and its leaders soon after the United Nations (UN) banned the organisation.

The Pakistan foreign secretary requested for an international intervention to normalise Indo-Pak relations. A war wouldn't be in interest of any country, he emphasised.

In his meeting with the Indian High Commissioner, Satyabrata Pal, Bashir stressed the need of reopening diplomatic channels between the two nations to help normalise the situation.

Bashir also assured Pal that Islamabad would fully co-operate in the Mumbai Terror attacks' investigation, provided India gives it sufficient evidence on Pakistani elements' involvement in the case.

Bashir also suggested that New Delhi should avoid 'highhandedness' in intelligence sharing, and give a speedy response to Islamabad's joint investigation into the Mumbai terror attacks proposal.

Meanwhile, a Pakistani foreign office statement has reported that the Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi called up his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Friday to urge India and Pakistan to work together to combat terrorism.

ANI