LAHORE, March 6: Prime Minister’s Adviser on Interior Rehman Malik claimed on Friday that the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team had been carried out by ‘criminals’ and ‘extremists’ and not by ‘religious elements’.

Talking to reporters after meeting Jamaat-i-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed at his party’s headquarters in Mansoora, he also said that involvement of foreign elements in the attack could not be ruled out.

However, he said that investigators who were following all leads would be able to reach a conclusion in two or three days.

About investigations into the Mumbai terror assault, Mr Malik said Pakistan had extended all possible cooperation to India, but its role in the probe was rather limited. “The crime has taken place in India and we are doing all we can to help the Indians in the investigation,” he added.

Pakistan has sent a dossier to India containing 30 questions and is awaiting a reply. These questions, the adviser said, were not a bid to shirk responsibility, but seek answers which could be furnished in courts to prove the crime.

“Otherwise, it would be difficult for Pakistan to keep the arrested people in jails beyond a specified period. Pakistan wants to cooperate with Indian authorities because criminals are criminals, regardless of their nationality, colour or creed,” he added.

Answering a question about PML-N’s rallies and tirade against President Asif Ali Zardari, Mr Malik stressed the need for doing away with the politics of confrontation and agitation. He called for ending the politics of ‘mandi’, an apparent reference to buying loyalty of legislators belonging to other parties.

He said the government would allow the lawyers’ long march only it was assured that peace and law and order would be maintained. At present, he said, the government was focussing on conciliatory efforts to end the crisis.

The reconciliation efforts, he said, could yield results in two to three days.

Mr Malik said that findings of the Lahore attack probe would be made public.

Meanwhile, police sources here said it was too early to blame any group for the attack. Media reports that some headstrong individuals associated with the Lashkar-e-Taiba are involved in the assault were ‘vehemently’ denied by the organisation.“This is a false accusation,” the LeT said in a statement.

Talking to Dawn from Srinagar by telephone, Dr Abdullah Ghaznavi said that the allegation had also been rejected by none other than Adviser Rehman Malik.

“The attack on the Sri Lankan team was actually an attack on the sovereignty of Pakistan and no Kashmiri mujahid could ever imagine acting against Pakistan,” he said.

Dr Ghaznavi accused Indian agencies of carrying out the attack and said the LeT was disappointed by Pakistan government’s one-sided attempt to befriend India.
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