Pak NA body wants to blunt Indian diplomatic campaign on Mumbai carnage

Islamabad, Jan 7 (ANI): The Pakistan National Assembly's Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs has asked the government to send parliamentary delegations to different countries to present Islamabad's case regarding the Mumbai terror attacks.

Members of the committee were of the view that Pakistan has not presented its case successfully at the international level, adding that the Foreign Office should be more proactive in giving a matching response to the Indian allegations.

Briefing the committee, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Malik Amad Khan said India had not shared 'substantial' evidence with Pakistan.

He said non-state actors had their own ulterior motives, the Daily Times reported.

Khan said that the Indian Government has not responded positively to Pakistan's offer of a joint investigation into the attacks, and had instead, deployed troops at the border.

"India has not provided complete evidence. It is a part of evidence or something like that. We will wait for more," Khan said.

Khan criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's allegation linking Pakistani state agencies to the Mumbai attacks.

"We are ready to cooperate with them. Therefore they should avoid making such statements," he added.

Replying to committee members' queries, the state minister said the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution was 'not Pakistan-specific. It was terrorism-specific'.

About Monday's meeting with the Indian high commissioner to Pakistan, Foreign Affairs Secretary Salman Bashir informed the NA body that India had only provided information and not evidence to Pakistan. "We don't need information. We want legally suitable evidence."

He said he had told the Indian high commissioner that Pakistan had also started an investigation into the case. He said India wanted to isolate Pakistan but the targeted action taken by the government at diplomatic front had so far foiled its designs.

Bashir said the government had serious concerns over the campaign launched by India to isolate Pakistan.

He said the post-Mumbai attacks situation was 'evolving' as the Indian Prime Minister had now stated that Pakistan was involved in the attacks. (ANI)