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Pakistan cites cooperation with U.S., Britain

Nirupama Subramanian

"We have not received any evidence whatsoever in any terrorist act in India"

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has held up the example of its cooperation with U.S. and British intelligence agencies in the uncovering of the London terror plot to suggest that India learn from this.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said at a briefing on Tuesday that the kind of steps Pakistan took to foil the plot to blow up transatlantic flights was possible when countries "trust and cooperate and share intelligence with each other."

Allegations

"We cannot cooperate with any country which is in the habit of making allegations and which has a history of not cooperating with us. We have not received any evidence whatsoever in any terrorist act in India and it is not possible for Pakistan to offer any kind of cooperation in the absence of that," she said.

Reacting to a question about the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's appeal in his Independence Day speech asking Islamabad to take concrete steps against cross-border terrorism, Ms. Aslam said Pakistan was committed to fighting terrorism, and to the peace process with India.

Sincerity needed

"It is a process which requires sincerity and commitment by both sides. This is a process that is meant to resolve issues and disputes that has caused conflict, tensions and distrust in this region. To allow terrorism to undermine this process would be very unfortunate," she said.

Allaying fears

The spokeswoman said President Pervez Musharraf's remarks on the occasion of Pakistan's Independence Day on August 14 daring anyone to threaten or coerce Pakistan was to "[allay] fears that might have risen in Pakistan because, leaders of some political parties in India also have been talking about hot pursuits, surgical strikes, pre-emptive action, etc. We have made our position clear."

Challenges arrest

In a separate development, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder and chief of the Jamaat-ud-Daawa Hafiz Saeed has filed a writ petition in the Lahore High Court challenging his house arrest.

Responding to the petition filed on Tuesday the court asked the Pakistan Government to produce all records in connection with the detention of Mr. Saeed.

The JuD chief was arrested on August 9.

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