Pak's summons its envoy in India to Islamabad

Islamabad: Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Shahid Malik arrived in Islambad on Tuesday for consultations to finalise the country's response to the Indian dossier on the Mumbai attacks, which is expected to be handed over this week.

Pakistan's response is in its final stage and is being vetted by the foreign and interior ministries so that it can be handed over to India, diplomatic and other sources said.

Malik arrived here this morning following summons from the Foreign Office to return to help finalise Pakistan's response.

The High Commissioner is expected to meet Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik, Law Minister Farooq Naek and Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir to discuss India's response to questions Pakistan had posed after receiving the Indian dossier, sources said.

India's replies will be used to finalise Pakistan's response, they added.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said in Lahore that Pakistan's report on its probe into the Mumbai attacks would be handed over to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad after a detailed review by the foreign and interior ministries.

Officials in the Indian High Commission said that they had been given no indication as to when the Pakistani response would be handed over to them.

Media reports said top Pakistani jurists were analysing the report prepared by security and intelligence experts on the basis of information provided by India in its dossier, which was handed over on January 5.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has already made it clear that Pakistan will take action under its own laws against any persons found guilty of involvement in the Mumbai attacks and they will not be handed over to India.

Foreign Minister Qureshi also said that Pakistan wants to restore normal relations with India. Bilateral talks on all issues, including Kashmir, will resume only after ties are normalised, he said.

Qureshi made it clear that negotiations are the "only solution to conflicts" between India and Pakistan. Fiery speeches on both sides will not help resolve issues, he said.