03 September,2009 03:15 PM IST | | PTI
Pakistan on Thursday described the latest dossier provided by India on the Mumbai attacks as a rehash of information contained in previous documents, indicating that it is inadequate for taking action against LeT founder Hafiz Mohammad Saeed.
"The last dossier from India was a rehash of information received in previous dossiers," Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit told a weekly news briefing.
Basit was responding to a question about India linking the resumption of peace talks to Pakistan taking action against the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks, including Saeed. New Delhi has accused Saeed of playing a key role in planning and facilitating the attacks.
The spokesman did not say how Pakistan intended to deal with Saeed, for whom Interpol recently issued a Red Corner Notice. The trial of suspects arrested by Pakistani authorities in connection with the Mumbai attacks is proceeding and Islamabad is "serious about bringing the perpetrators to book," Basit said.
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At the same time, he said, Pakistan "still believes that the composite dialogue is the only way forward." He also made it clear 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," Basit said.
In response to another question, he said Pakistan was awaiting India's formal response to its invitation for Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao to come to Islamabad for talks with her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir.
"We do not yet have a date or venue for a meeting between the Foreign Secretaries," he said. Basit also said there was no proposal for the Prime Ministers of the two countries to meet on the sidelines of the Commonwealth summit in Trinidad in November.
India put on hold the composite dialogue process in the wake of the Mumbai attacks, which were blamed on the Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT).
A Pakistani anti-terrorism court is currently trying seven suspects arrested by authorities in connection with the assault. Among them are LeT operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and communications expert Zarar Shah.
