Thaindian News

Islamabad, Sep 10 (IANS) President Asif Ali Zardari said Thursday India should trust Pakistan on its investigations into the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
He expressed the views during a briefing by the foreign office at the Aiwan-e-Sadr here on relations with India and Afghanistan and the president’s forthcoming US tour.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and senior foreign ministry officials were present on the occasion, Online news agency reported.

The president was informed that India was constantly linking the resumption of the sub-continental dialogue progress to the progress in Pakistan’s probe into the Nov 26-29, 2008 Mumbai attacks that claimed the lives of over 170 people, including 26 foreigners.

India says Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed had masterminded the Mumbai carnage. Pakistan has arrested five LeT cadres, including its top commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, and their trial has begun in the adjacent garrison town of Rawalpindi.

Zardari said that Pakistan would hold talks with India on the basis of equality, and warned that any delay in resuming the dialogue would only strengthen the hands of extremist elements.

He also reiterated that Pakistan was serious about the talks as it realized that war was never a solution for any issue.

Referring to relations with Afghanistan, Zardari said he wanted cordial and friendly ties with the new government of Afghanistan and that he would be quite happy with Hamid Karzai being re-elected as president.