Mumbai attack: Pak officials discuss Indian dossier

Islamabad/New Delhi, Jan.10 (ANI): Senior officials of the Pakistan Government met here on Saturday to review and frame a response to the dossier of evidence provided to Islamabad by the Indian Government on the November 26-29 terror attacks on Mumbai.

Sources said that interior and foreign ministry officials and representatives of some key security agencies met at the Pakistan Foreign Office to review the dossier.

TV reports saud that the dossier submitted by New Delhi comprising a confession of Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone terrorist arrested for the Mumbai attacks, transcripts of phone conversations between the attackers and their Pakistan-based handlers and other technical evidence.

The dossier was handed over to Pakistan on January 5.

THe meeting in Islamabad comes as India's Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma on Saturday said that India is ready to grant Pakistan consular access to Ajmal Amir Kasab, lone surviving gunman involved in the November 2008 terror attack on Mumbai, provided Islamabad makes a request.

Talking to reporters in national capital, Sharma said that so far no requests have been made by Pakistan, but all help would be provided to them if they wanted it.

"We have not received any demands so far, no request for consular access. Since he is a Pakistani citizen, if Pakistan wants consular access, we will happily give consular access," said Sharma.

Sharma's statement comes in the wake of Pakistan after being in constant denial mode, but finally admitting that Kasab is its national, vindicating the Indian stand.

Sharma once again urged Pakistan to honour its commitments and assurances in dismantling terror infrastructure.

"Pakistan should fulfill its assurances given to India and to international community. They have to make efforts to dismantle the terror infrastructure from their soil as this would be in the interest of entire world and in the interest of Pakistan as well," said Sharma.

Ten heavily armed gunmen killed 179 people in the attack on India's financial capital at the end of November. Only one attacker was captured alive.

India presented a dossier of material to Pakistan earlier this week, which included a confession from Ajmal Kasab, details of communication links with "elements in Pakistan", and data retrieved from GPS and satellite phones.

New Delhi wants Pakistan to investigate fully the leads in the dossier and help to bring those responsible for planning and coordinating the attacks to justice in India.

India blamed Pakistani militants from the outset, but Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said this week for the first time that the assault must have had the support of "official agencies" in Pakistan.

Pakistan rejected the charge and said it has sent India a response to a dossier of evidence from the Mumbai attacks presented by India.

The Mumbai attacks also revived tension between two nations that have fought three wars since 1947, leading to speculation in the media that India could carry out strikes against militant camps inside Pakistan. (ANI)