ISLAMABAD, Aug 11: British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Friday telephoned President Gen Pervez Musharraf to convey his gratitude for the key role Pakistan had played in uncovering and foiling the terrorist plot in London.
“The British Prime Minister thanked the President and the Government of Pakistan and all others for the valuable help they provided in busting the international terrorist network,” the Foreign Office said.
Sources said the credit for uncovering the mastermind of the London plot goes to Pakistan.
Talking to Dawn on Friday Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri hinted that the uncovering of the terrorist plot to blow up transatlantic flights had a wider dimension and that investigations into the plot were still continuing both in Pakistan and the UK.
The minister declined to comment when asked if inquiries conducted in Pakistan had pointed towards planned attacks on any other country, and observed: “Let’s just say that the arrests in Pakistan have saved scores of innocent lives throughout the world.”
The Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam referred to the involvement of Afghan-based Al Qaeda connection and said that the case had a wider dimension.
A British national Rashid Rauf was named by the Spokesperson as a ‘key person’ arrested during raids in Pakistan. It is learnt that he is currently in the custody of Pakistani security agencies. “Acting on the information earlier received from the United Kingdom, arrests were made in Pakistan which triggered arrests on the nights between Aug 9 and 10 in the United Kingdom,” the Spokesperson disclosed.
She said these coordinated arrests underscored the very important role that Pakistan had played in breaking the international terrorist network.
“We are happy that in a humble way we have contributed to the security of people in many countries,” Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri told Dawn.
