Islamabad: India has not responded to
Pakistan`s request for intelligence-sharing on New Delhi`s
concerns about terrorist attacks being planned from Pakistani
soil, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said.
The Foreign Office made the request following Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh`s remarks at a conference in New Delhi
on Monday that his government has "credible information" of
Pakistan-based terror groups planning to carry out fresh
attacks in India, Qureshi told a group of senior editors and
journalists yesterday.
"Instead of being dismissive and simply rejecting
these allegations, we decided to engage India and requested
them to share that intelligence," Qureshi said.
Since the two countries have an intelligence-sharing
mechanism, he wanted the Indian leadership to "stop playing to
the gallery" and share information instead of making
announcements through the media.
The Indian leadership should talk to Pakistan through
"proper channels" and Islamabad will take action "if credible
information is shared with us", he said.
Qureshi also said dialogue with the Pakistani Taliban
is possible only if they lay down their weapons and accept the
writ of the state. The government is democratically elected
and "will never shut the door on dialogue", he added.
Asked about the election in Afghanistan, Qureshi said
the Pakistan government wants the strengthening of the
democratic process in the neighbouring country.
Pakistan will work with whoever has the mandate of the
people of Afghanistan, he said.
The Pakistan government has no favourites in the
Afghan presidential polls and it is looking forward to working
with the new Afghan leadership, Qureshi said.
Bureau Report
