Islamabad hardsells its ‘efforts’ to diplomats

NEW DELHI: Responding to India���s diplomatic offensive, Pakistan called in envoys of various countries to brief them on the steps taken by Islamabad after the Mumbai terror attacks.

Indian high commissioner to Pakistan Satyabrata Pal met Pakistani interior minister Rehman Malik separately to discuss the steps being taken by the Pakistani government. The high commissioner was told about the formation of the three-member commission to investigate the contents of the terror dossier provided by India.

Mr Malik also assured Mr Pal about Pakistan���s seriousness in sharing the findings of the probe.

Mr Pal in turn conveyed India���s eagerness to see results of the steps that are being taken by Pakistan. After the meeting, Mr Malik was quoted as saying that Pakistan would exchange more information with India on the attacks. Sources here said that consultations would continue with Pakistan and information would be shared accordingly.

New Delhi has taken note of the measures taken against the Lashkar e Toiba and the Jamaat-ud-Dawa but is waiting for the outcome of the investigations launched by Pakistan. Islamabad in the last few days has adopted a more nuanced approach with Mr Malik recently saying that there were ���leads and good clues��� in the terror dossier. However, New Delhi is taking the current statements from Pakistan with a pinch of salt.

Pakistan launched its own diplomatic offensive with Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureishi and interior ministry chief Rehman Malik briefing the envoys of a majority of foreign missions in Islamabad at the Foreign Office.
The envoys were told about the steps taken by Pakistan against the Lashkar-e-Toiba and the Jamaat-ud-Dawa and about how Pakistan has launched its own probe on the basis of the terror dossier.

However, Islamabad continued to bring up the matter of a joint probe and put the onus on India to address the problem of terrorism. ``The Foreign Minister added that it was important that India responds positively to Pakistan ���s proposals for engagement to address meaningfully the issue of terrorism in the region and specific to Mumbai,������ a Pakistani foreign office statement said.

New Delhi continues to be quite clear that it does not want a joint probe and has conveyed this to Islamabad and members of the international community which have also sporadically urged India to take up Pakistan���s offer of a joint probe. New Delhi had also turned down Islamabad���s offer to send a high level delegation.