August 03, 2008	Sunday	Rajab 30, 1429

COLOMBO, Aug 2: Islamabad has offered to investigate New Delhi’s charge that the ISI was involved in last month’s attack on its embassy in Kabul.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani made the offer to his Indian counterpart Dr Manmohan Singh on Saturday on the sidelines of the Saarc summit.

“Prime Minister Gilani said that he would conduct an independent investigation,” Indian Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon told reporters after the meeting. He said the two countries had agreed to keep the peace process alive and moving.

Prime Minister Gilani had told Mr Singh that Pakistan would like to get to the “root of the matter”. He asked the Indians to share any evidence they had to support the allegations.

The meeting between Mr Gilani and Mr Singh, the first between the two leaders, assumed considerable attention because of the recent political developments that had taken the relations between the two to new lows.

Mr Singh, in his ‘candid’ discussion with Mr Gilani, reiterated the Indian stance that violations of LoC ceasefire and the allegations of Pakistan’s involvement in the Indian embassy blast had put the entire peace process under question.

Mr Gilani told Mr Singh that Pakistan attached immense importance to the ceasefire and saw it as the most important confidence-building measure.

The two leaders agreed that the peace process should not be affected by these snags and that the two countries should continue working for improving their ties for the sake of peace and stability of the entire region.

“We need to overcome these (problems) and move forward,” Mr Menon said.

Prime Minister Gilani made a similar indication while talking to reporters outside the hotel where he had gone to see Mr Singh.

He said when politicians meet they make progress. “I had come here to build bridges and not to raise walls,” he added.

Mr Gilani further said that he would meet President Karzai to discuss the allegations about the blast at the Indian embassy.

It is believed United States Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher has played a significant role in getting the two leaders to meet. No meeting had been planned earlier.

The two leaders did not even shake hands or exchange pleasantries when they gathered at the inaugural session of the two-day summit.

President Karzai, in a veiled attack, had said the ‘institutional nourishment’ for terrorism was coming from Pakistan.

Mr Boucher, who was in Colombo to represent the United States at the Saarc summit as an observer, met Mr Gilani at his hotel.

Pakistan’s actions against extremists and its strained ties with India and Afghanistan topped his agenda, sources said.