Pak will be given credible 7/11evidence: PM

LONDON: India will take Pakistan up on its offer to help and provide it with credible evidence about the ISI hand in the Mumbai blasts, PM Manmohan Singh said here on Tuesday.

Mr Singh also maintained his commitment to continuing talks with Pakistan in line with his discussions with President Musharraf in Havana.

Addressing a joint media conference at 10, Downing Street, with his UK counterpart Tony Blair, the two PMs showed an increasing convergence between the two countries on issues related to global terrorism and nuclear non-proliferation.

In a significant statement, Mr Blair said that terrorism, “whether in London, Mumbai or Kashmir, wherever it is,” needs to be condemned strongly, “so that the decent people can get on with their jobs.” Clubbing Kashmir with London and Mumbai is a significant tilt in the Anglo-Indian relationship. Mr Blair also pointed out that in his recent meeting with President Musharraf, the two premiers “went back over this ground,” referring to terrorism in the region.

Given the timing, the subject of North Korea naturally dominated the press conference. In reply to a question, Mr Blair pointed out that there is no parallel between India and North Korea as nuclear powers; “The situation in North Korea is in clear breach of its international commitments... India and the UK are democracies, there is a set of international obligations we adhere to, in North Korea the situation is completely different...India had expressed deep concern and supported the six-party talks for denuclearisation,” Mr Blair said. “Further erosion of non-proliferation is not in our security interests. India has suffered from clandestine proliferation from our neighbours,” Mr Singh added.

Before terror and nuclear weapons took centre-stage, the British premier gave Mr Singh a raving personal encomium; Anglo-Indian relationship is the strongest it has ever been, Mr Blair said in his opening address, and I’d like to give a personal tribute to the PM to help that relationship grow. He’s a man of extraordinary intelligence and great personal courage,” Mr Blair said.

With the focus of this visit by the Indian prime minister on the investment summit, both premiers talked about increasing cooperation and three main areas, counter terrorism, increased trade and cooperation in education and innovation, and a new area of global climate change, in the context of India as a growing economy with rising energy needs.