By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari said Sunday his government was ready to “do more” once India completes its investigations into the Mumbai attacks and shares the information with Pakistani authorities.
Addressing a press conference with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Zardari said whatever he has heard about the Pakistani links to the Mumbai attackers was in the media and nothing has been conveyed officially by New Delhi.
Brown said terrorism is a global problem and needs to be dealt with through concerted efforts. He said Britain would enhance its cooperation with Pakistan so that it could effectively deal with the menace of growing radicalisation and terrorism.
He also said that British investigators had found that “three-fourth of the terrorism plots had links with Al Qaeda in Pakistan”.
The British prime minister said three Britons were killed in the Mumbai attacks and he has asked Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to allow the British police to question an arrested terrorist, who is a Pakistani national. He said he has made the same request to President Zardari for access to the arrested person.
President Zardari said Pakistan wants peace in South Asia and rejects terrorism and extremism in all forms and manifestations.
“What I know is India is investigating into the attacks and will share information after they have completed the investigation,” Zardari said to a question if his government will take action against people involved in the Mumbai attacks.
Before the press conference, Zardari and Brown held 90-minute talks in which they talked on terrorism, Pakistan’s cooperation with the ISAF forces in Afghanistan and crackdown against the militant forces in Pakistan.
“We had very useful discussion,” Brown said while announcing a six-million pounds grant for fighting terrorism and radicalisation. The British prime minister said his government will work to help Pakistan fight terrorism by providing equipment for scanning at airports, prevent car bombing and better policing.
Brown was on a short four-hour visit to Pakistan after speaking with Indian leaders earlier on Sunday.
He said that now its up to India and Pakistan how they investigate the problem but there “is a need for cooperation between both the countries”.
He said by breaking the chain of terrorists, Pakistan can improve its relations with its neighbours. He said that he understands that Pakistan itself is facing the worst kind of terrorism and that is the reason for Britain offering help in improving the security systems.
President Zardari said his own family was a victim of terrorism and he is all out to curb the menace.