Pakistan asks India not to hold back ties due to Mumbai attacks

New York, Sep 27 (ANI): Pakistan has asked India not to hold back the bilateral talks because of investigation of the Mumbai terror attacks, and assured New Delhi that it has done what was required in the case.

India has been pushing Pakistan to act fast and in a transparent manner to ensure that those behind the attacks are brought to justice.

Dismayed by Pakistan's double speak and its refusal to accept the evidence provided by India in the sixth dossier, sources said: "'It is up to Pakistan to decide what relation they want with India."

Pakistan Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir said after meeting with his Indian counterpart Nirupama Rao here on Saturday: " The relationship cannot be held or brought to a standstill because of a trial or one investigation."

Bashir described the meeting, which came a day before the crucial talks between the foreign ministers of the two countries, as useful, which helped in understanding the perspectives of the two countries more clearly.

"We have been very forthcoming on the quality of the work that has been done by our experts in terms of investigations and the arrests etcetera, and all that has been shared with India," he said.

However, the Indian side maintained that they want Pakistan to act speedily and in a transparent manner against those responsible for the Mumbai attacks.

The meeting between Rao and Bashir came on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, marking the first high-level contact between the two countries since the Prime Ministers ofthe two countries met at Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt on July 16.

Both the secretaries will report about their discussions to their Foreign Ministers S M Krishna and Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who will meet in New York today. (ANI)