By IRNA,
Islamabad : President Asif Ali Zardari has said that Pakistani elements involved in the Mumbai attacks would be tried in the country’s courts if evidences are provided.
“If proof of any Pakistani individual’s involvement is provided, we would try them in our courts, we would try them in our land, and we would sentence them,” President Zardari told CNN Larry King Live in an interview.
“I am definitely going to look into all the possibility of any proof that is given to us,” Zardari said. “At the moment, these are just names of individuals. No proof, no investigation, nothing has been brought forward.”
He again denied Pakistan was behind the attacks in Mumbai and said he has seen no evidence that a suspect in custody is a Pakistani national as Indian officials claim.
Zardari said that the ‘Lashker-e-Taiba’ is an outlawed group in Pakistan and across the world. “If indeed they are involved, we would not know,” he said.
“Again, they are people who operate outside the system. They operate like Al Qaida, for instance, is not state-oriented. They operate something on that mechanism and…I’ve already offered India full cooperation on this incident, and we intend to do that.” He said he was “firmly committed to fighting terrorism per se” and that was why Pakistan was “fighting them every day”.
“I think these are stateless actors who have been operating all throughout the region…The gunmen plus the planners, whoever they are, stateless actors who have been holding hostage the whole world,” he said.
“The state of Pakistan is in no way responsible (for the attacks),” Zardari insisted. He referred to a statement from the White House and the American CIA who also say Pakistan is not involved.
“The state of Pakistan is, of course, not involved. We’re part of the victims…I’m a victim. The state of Pakistan is a victim. We are the victims of this war, and I am sorry for the Indians, and I feel sorry for them.”
When his attention was invited to reports that the lone attacker arrested by Indian police during the attacks, President Zardari said, “We have not been given any tangible proof to say that he is definitely a Pakistani. I very much doubt it…that he is a Pakistani.” Zardari said Pakistan has offered a joint commission for a probe.
To a question if the Mumbai attacks could lead to fourth war between India and Pakistan, Zardari said democracies don’t go to war.