Zardari urges India to cooperate with Pakistan, not blame it
WASHINGTON (AFP) – Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday urged India to cooperate with Pakistan in fighting terrorism rather than accuse Islamabad of complicity in the scourge.
In a New York Times commentary, Zardari, whose wife Benazir Bhutto was murdered by Islamist militants, said Pakistan is also a victim of the fanatics world powers fostered to free Afghanistan from Soviet occupation decades ago.
"The Mumbai attacks were directed not only at India but also at Pakistan's new democratic government and the peace process with India that we have initiated," Zardari wrote.
India accuses "official agencies" in Pakistan of abetting the November 26-29 Islamist militant attacks last year that killed 166 people in India's financial capital. Islamabad flatly denies such charges.
The attacks stalled a fragile four-year peace process between the two nuclear-armed south Asian rivals.
"To foil the designs of the terrorists, the two great nations of Pakistan and India... must continue to move forward with the peace process," Zardari added.
"Pakistan is committed to the pursuit, arrest, trial and punishment of anyone involved in these heinous attacks. But we caution against hasty judgments and inflammatory statements," he said.
He said Pakistan -- where nearly 2,000 people have "lost their lives to terrorism" during this year alone -- needs the help of India and other countries in rooting out militants.
"Terrorism is a regional as well as a global threat, and it needs to be battled collectively," he said.
"We understand the domestic political considerations in India in the aftermath of Mumbai. Nevertheless, accusations of complicity on Pakistan's part only complicate the already complex situation," Zardari added.
"For India, Pakistan and the United States, the best response to the Mumbai carnage is to coordinate in counteracting the scourge of terrorism," he pleaded.
"The world must act to strengthen Pakistan's economy and democracy, help us build civil society and provide us with the law enforcement and counterterrorism capacities that will enable us to fight the terrorists effectively," he said.
