By IANS,
Islamabad : Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Saturday that Pakistan will extend “full cooperation” to India following the Mumbai terrorist attack.
“The Indian government has requested for cooperation. And the government of Pakistan has decided to extend full cooperation and at all levels,” he told reporters here.
This, he added, would be at both the “political level and at the level of our intelligence agencies”.
Qureshi, who returned from India earlier in the day, insisted that Pakistan was not on the defensive despite persisting allegations that there was a Pakistani angle to the Mumbai carnage.
Indian officials say that the terrorists who entered Mumbai Wednesday night by the sea and created havoc came from Pakistan.
“Pakistan is not on the defensive. The government of Pakistan and all institutions of Pakistan are unanimous that Pakistan is not involved in this ghastly act,” he said.
“And that is why we do not have to be on the defensive and we are not on the defensive. Extending cooperation and the fact that after the incident I remained on Indian soil for three days … shows Pakistan is not on the defensive.”
Speaking after a cabinet meeting, Qureshi said that Pakistan attached the “highest importance to friendly and good neighbourly relations with India. It feels that good relations and friendly relations with India are essential for regional peace and stability.”
He made no direct reference to the reported Indian request to Pakistan to send the head of its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency to India to discuss the Mumbai terror attack that left 183 people and over 300 injured. The dead included 22 foreigners.
“The cabinet has decided to take the entire political leadership of Pakistan into confidence on the evolving situation. The cabinet feels finger pointing or coming to hasty conclusions will be playing into the hands of the common enemy, that is the terrorist.”
He added: “The cabinet resolved that national interest of Pakistan will remain supreme in all decisions of the government. It was decided at the cabinet to remain fully engaged with the political leadership and establishment of India.”