ISLAMABAD, APRIL 22
Pakistan is prepared to run over the terrorist training camps of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) on its territory if India gives their exact locations as there is no use just harping on claims that 42 such camps continue to function across the Line of Control (LoC), affirms Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit.
Pointing out that LeT is already a banned organisation in Pakistan, Basit told a visiting Indian media delegation that “we are telling them to please tell us where are these camps if you know about them.” He complained that India keeps asserting that these camps should be first destroyed for any dialogue “but when we ask them details, they don’t come up with.”
He also urged India to share with Islamabad the basis for claims that it fears another Mumbai like terror attack. “When the Indian PM or Home Minister says so, they must be saying it on the basis of some information. Share that with us, so that we can pre-empt. Our request is to share any information, intelligence about it to enable us to take action.”
Basit asserted that the two neighbours must cooperate with each other to pre-empt the terrorist strikes rather than engage in blame game. “You will not find Pakistan wanting. Whoever is involved in terrorist activities will be apprehended,” he said, adding that Pakistan doe not have any evidence of linkages between the al-Qaida and LeT.
BHUTAN HOPE: He said Pakistan has still not given up the hope that a meeting between the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan on the sidelines of the SAARC summit in Bhutan next week may help revive the composite dialogue that India suspended after Mumbai attack.
“Bhutan is not yet a missed opportunity. We still have time and we are in touch diplomatically. No formal meeting yet planned,” he said, pointing out a roadmap given to India last September in New York for a step-by-step meetings of officials, followed by foreign ministers and then a summit-level meeting to resume talks.
In the run-up to Bhutan, he said Pakistan had proposed meetings of foreign secretaries and foreign ministers so that the two neighbours can announce resumption of the dialogue process in Bhutan.
