WASHINGTON, July 13: The perpetrators of the Mumbai blasts wanted to derail the peace process between India and Pakistan, Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri said on Friday.
“Those who oppose the peace process and do not wish it well are behind these bombings,” he told Pakistani journalists on the conclusion of his three-day visit to Washington.
He rejected the impression that Pakistan somehow was responsible for the terror attacks, saying no cause justified killing women and children. “It’s very unfair to attribute all acts of lawlessness or violence (in India) to Pakistan, because India is a vast country. There are lots of people who have their own agendas, not just in Kashmir,” Mr Kasuri said.
The three-day visit, during which he had detailed discussion on key issues with senior American officials and congressmen, became embroiled in an unnecessary controversy over remarks that were interpreted as linking the Mumbai blasts to the lack of resolution of disputes between India and Pakistan.
Mr Kasuri said he was quoted out of context. “There’s no linkage at all. I never said so,” he said. “We have condemned the bombings unreservedly. As foreign minister, I am trying to improve relations, not cause tensions.”
The bitterness created by the remarks overshadowed another statement that would have made international headlines.
During a question-answer session at a Washington think-tank, Mr Kasuri declared that Islamabad was determined to use nuclear technology to meet its energy needs whether or not it got a deal similar to the India-US nuclear agreement.
Another subject discussed during Mr Kasuri’s visit is the proposed sale of F-16 jet fighters to Pakistan. Mr Kasuri said that Pakistan was buying 36 new F-16s from the US, 18 now and 18 later. Pakistan will also buy 26 old F-16s while its present fleet of 34 F16s will be upgraded.
