Zardari Rejects claims of Pak link in Mumbai Attacks

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ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari rejecting the claims of Pakistan's involvement in Mumbai terrorist attacks, said Friday Pakistan could neither gain anything not the democratic government believes in such tactics. "Currently, India was also facing security challenges on domestic front", the President said while talking to German Ambassador Dr. Michael Koch, who called on him here. President Zardari condemned the incident and informed the Germany envoy that he had spoken to Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and Dr. Manmohan Singh over telephone to offer Pakistan's assistance in the investigations, according to a foreign office statement issue here. The German Ambassador appreciated Pakistan's efforts and sincerity towards normalizing relations with India and in this regard referred to the President's courageous interview to the Indian media as well as the mature and constructive statement of Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who is in India, in the wake of Mumbai terrorist incidents. The President informed about Pakistan's efforts towards building bridges with Afghanistan and in this regard highlighted his upcoming visit to Afghanistan and visit to Turkey to attend the trilateral Summit. The President and the German envoy exchanged views on the state of bilateral relations, terrorism and extremism in the region and Pakistan-India relations. In the context of terrorism, the President reminded that the roots of the current situation lay in the efforts of some countries to militarily defeat the Soviet forces in Afghanistan without an exit strategy. He emphatically mentioned that the germs of terrorist elements were not produced in security agencies' labs in Pakistan but they were created overseas and transferred to this region. The President expressed profound gratitude for Germany's support at the Friends of Democratic Pakistan Forum, IMF's financial plan for Pakistan and the understanding that German Government has displayed towards Pakistan's difficulties. He mentioned that opting for the IMF package was an extremely difficult decision for the government under the prevailing circumstances. The people of Pakistan have high hopes with the democratic government and needed something tangible for themselves, he added.

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