FORWARD MOVEMENT: Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon addresses a press conference at Shastri Bhavan in New Delhi on Wednesday. At right, his Pakistan counterpart, Riaz Muhammad Khan, briefs the media at the Pakistan High Commission. — Photo: R.V. Moorthy

NEW DELHI: Pakistan has promised to "look into" evidence presented by India of cross-border terror links, even as the countries set up a formal mechanism to "consider counter-terrorism measures, including through regular and timely sharing of information."

Confirming that India had presented some material about cross-border terror links, Pakistani Foreign Secretary Riaz Muhammad Khan said here on Wednesday that the information pertained to earlier terrorist attacks, and not the July 11 Mumbai blasts.

A joint statement issued by the two sides said Additional Secretaries in the Indian and Pakistani Foreign Ministries would head the three-member-a- side mechanism. Many of the joint working groups on counter-terrorism India has with other countries are headed by the same official.

Speaking after the discussions, Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon said information on the Mumbai blasts could be handed over only after a charge sheet was filed in court.

Banned groups

Mr. Menon said India had asked Pakistan to put an end to the activities of terrorist groups banned in both countries (such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Jaish-e-Muhammad).

He did not give details of the information provided to the Pakistani side, stating New Delhi wanted the mechanism "to do its work." It would await Islamabad's response.

Asked whether the Pakistani state was behind acts of terror in India, Mr. Menon said India pointed to elements in Pakistan and did not qualify them. As for those who controlled these elements, he said it was not for India to say.

Terrorist camps

To a question whether terrorist camps existed in Pakistan, Mr. Menon replied in the affirmative. Asked where those camps were, he said, "I think they know."

Mr. Menon emphasised that there was terrorism in both India and Pakistan. New Delhi had to deal with these acts on its own and only cross-border links were taken up with Islamabad.

With the formation of the anti-terror mechanism, he hoped, the two countries would refrain from trading allegations in public. "That's not a good way of getting things done."

Rejects finger-pointing

On his part, Mr. Khan said there were both "local impulses" and "international dimensions" to acts of terrorism, and rejected the "finger-pointing" at Islamabad in the wake of the Mumbai blasts.

He wanted to know how India could blame Pakistan "within 15 minutes" of a terrorist act. Speaking in chaste Urdu, he said making allegations was not the best way of seeking cooperation.

Dangerous folly

At his press conference, Mr. Khan said on two occasions that it would be a "dangerous folly" on the part of India and Pakistan to "try and destabilise the other." Neither should even think in these terms.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail