Rice heads for India, says Pak must cooperate in Mumbai probe

WASHINGTON: With India blaming Pakistan-based elements for the Mumbai terror strikes, the US today said Islamabad must "follow evidence wherever it leads" and lend "absolute" and "transparent" cooperation in the probe as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice headed for New Delhi.

President George W Bush has asked Rice to travel to New Delhi on Wednesday amid apprehensions of tensions rising between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of Mumbai blasts.

"President Bush has asked Secretary Rice to travel to India this week in the wake of the terror attacks that killed nearly 200 people, including six American citizens," a White House statement said.

"Secretary Rice's visit to India is a further demonstration of the United States' commitment to stand in solidarity with the people of India as we all work together to hold these extremists accountable," it added.

Ahead of her visit to Delhi, Rice said the US shares "grief and anger" of Indian people and "what we are emphasising to the Pakistani government is the need to follow evidence wherever it leads and to do so in the most committed and firmest possible way."

Talking to reporters in London, Rice said she did not want to jump to any conclusions on who is involved in the attacks "but this is time for a complete, absolute, total transparency and cooperation and that is what we expect (from Pakistan)."

She said it is "extremely important that there (should) be the highest levels of cooperation" between Pakistan and India at this point and "that means all institutions".