Pak, India should stop blame game: Pak Minister

Shruti Ganapatye

Lahore, Oct 11 (PTI) Refuting India's charge that it
is not cooperating on the investigations into the Mumbai
terror attacks, Pakistan Sunday said the two countries should
stop the "blame game", while asking New Delhi to provide
"solid information" against those involved.

"Pakistan is not encouraging terrorism. Who should we
blame for the attacks on us? Should we blame our neighbours,"
Pakistani Federal Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said
on the margins of a function organised by the South Asian
Women in the Media (SAWM).

He said both the countries should be "tolerant and
patient" in the larger interest of peace in the sub-continent.

"We should stop the blame game. Your Government could
not do enough to stop the anti-Pakistani activities in India.
We need to stop this blame game because Pakistan is the
biggest victim of terrorism," he said.

"We are trying our best to produce the 26/11 accused
before the courts and have also asked India to give solid
information against them," he said, but added "we cannot
dictate to our courts."

India has been accusing Pakistan of not cooperating
with it on the Mumbai terror attacks case despite being
provided with six dossiers in this regard.
Expressing the hope that India would resume Composite
Dialogue process, Karia said "we met Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh and he was very kind to listen to our issues and we are
hopeful that India would respond (positively to the issue of
resumption of peace talks) to resolve the issues."

The minister said "the mindset that Pakistan
encouraged the Taliban against Russia in Afganistan needs to
change."

"After the 9/11 attack, the whole world is fighting
against terrorism and we welcome the move. However, we also
agree that for stable Pakistan, we need our neighbouring
countries to be peaceful and the blame game (over Mumbai
attacks), won't take us to any conclusion," Kaira said.

On yesterday's attack on Pakistan Army's General
Headquarters in Rawalpindi, the minister said, "it was
alarming and we should also remember that it happened in a
civilian area, where hundreds of cars pass by on the roads."

"They (terrorists) were dressed up in Army fatigues
and were stopped at the first check post. So, we can't blame
the security lapses (for the attack)," the minister said. PTI
SSG