ISLAMABAD, Nov 29: Pakistan urged India on Saturday to adopt a sane approach on the Mumbai tragedy, cautioning that finger-pointing and hasty conclusions risk becoming divisive and playing into the hands of terrorists.

“We’ll have to let the dust settle in order to dispassionately analyse what happened or pass any judgment on this tragic event,” Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told a media briefing after a special federal cabinet meeting on the Mumbai fallout.

The cabinet condemned the attack and offered “full moral and material cooperation at all levels”.

Mr Qureshi dismissed the Indian charges as irresponsible for “pointing fingers at Pakistan without evidence” and asked them to be cognizant of the sensitivity of the situation.

He asked India to provide evidence to substantiate its allegations that groups based in Pakistan had carried out the attacks, assuring New Delhi that action would be taken against those found involved in “this dastardly act”.

Mr Qureshi said there was no evidence to suggest his country’s involvement, adding that there could be certain elements that might be opposed to the normalisation of ties between the two countries and the Pakistan government would like to keep an eye on them.

“We are a responsible nation, a responsible neighbour and we’ll behave and act responsibly.”

Mr Qureshi, who returned earlier in the day from India, called for steps to lower tensions and for coordination in combating terrorism. “We’ll have to rise to the occasion and understand that we have to join in our efforts to deal with this menace.”

He warned India against treating Pakistan’s offer of assistance in the investigation as a defensive move. “Pakistan is not on the defensive…. The Indian government has requested for cooperation and the government of Pakistan has decided to extend full cooperation at all levels -- political level and at the level of intelligence agencies.”

The foreign minister rejected a perception that the US had forced Pakistan to cooperate with India. “We take decisions that make sense and are logical and in our interest and not under anyone’s pressure.”

In reply to a question about alleged threats by Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, he said there was no threat in his tone and that he had rather pleaded for cooperation.

In reply to another question about the reversal of the government’s earlier decision to send the ISI chief to India for assisting in the probe, Mr Qureshi said: “There is no retraction; the government had only said that the premier intelligence agency would cooperate.”

He agreed that the peace process between Pakistan and India had got strained because of the Mumbai incident. “Obviously when a ghastly incident of this nature takes place it puts pressure.”However, he added, Pakistan attached great importance to its ties with India and was hoping that the hiccup in relations would soon be overcome.

The cabinet, he said, had resolved to remain fully engaged with the Indian leadership and establishment. He said the cabinet had also decided to take all political forces in the country on board regarding the evolving situation and Pakistan’s stance on it so that the nation could be ready for any “eventuality”.

“Contacts are already under way and the PML-N and PML-Q have been contacted by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani,” he added.