New dossier rehash of earlier information: Pak

NEW DELHI: Pakistan has refused to acknowledge the latest evidence given by India on Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief and Lashkar founder Hafiz Saeed���s involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks and has called it a ���rehash of information��� contained in earlier dossiers.

This is the first feedback from Pakistan on the latest dossier and is unlikely to bring any cheer in New Delhi which is now starting to express frustration with the lack of movement on the matter. Pakistan till now has refused to yield any ground on the JuD chief and has adopted a defiant posture when it comes to Saeed. ���The last dossier from India was a rehash of information received in previous dossiers,��� foreign office spokesman Abdul Basit was quoted as saying.

Earlier, interior minister Rehman Malik in an interview to a Saudi daily had said that Islamabad is not ���obliged to immediately��� arrest the Lashkar founder in the context of the Interpol red corner notice. He further maintained that Pakistani intelligence agencies were studying the dossiers given by India, but there was not sufficient evidence to ���link Saeed to the Mumbai attack and to punish those who are guilty.���

Even the red corner notice has so far refused to have any impact on the Pakistani government. ���Pakistan needs to examine the evidence provided by India on the basis of which Interpol issued a red corner notice against Hafiz Saeed. Certain procedures are required to pursue the notice,��� Mr Malik said in the interview.

���We are free to carry out our own investigations against the man, and then take steps accordingly,��� he said.
These latest set of remarks leaves no doubt about the Pakistani government���s position on the alleged mastermind of the Mumbai terror attacks. Sources said that Islamabad has to take concerted action against Saeed on the evidence given by India which would stand up in any court of law.

Even though it has failed to move forward on the Mumbai terror attack investigation, Islamabad has continued to push for the resumption of the composite dialogue process. Pakistan ���still believes that the composite dialogue is the only way forward,��� said the foreign office spokesperson. He added that if the stalled dialogue were to be resumed, ���it would not be a favour to Pakistan because talks and exchange of views is the only way��� to improve ties between the two sides.

���Whether we like it or not, we have to come to the negotiating table. And our view is the sooner the better,��� Mr Basit said. However, New Delhi has ruled out resumption of talks until Islamabad takes credible action on terror���a position which is unlikely to change for now.