ISLAMABAD, Aug 26: Pakistan dismissed on Wednesday as “baseless and irresponsible” Indian deputy prime minister’s statement accusing Islamabad for terrorist attacks in India, and said such remarks ran counter to the spirit of conciliatory moves initiated by the prime ministers of the two countries.

“The Government of Pakistan has been disappointed at the statement in Mumbai by Indian Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani accusing Pakistan for terrorist incidents in India,” a foreign office spokesman said in a statement here.

He said Mr Advani’s statement besides being baseless and irresponsible, “is certainly not in keeping with the recent conciliatory steps initiated by the Prime Ministers of Pakistan and India to improve relations between the two countries.

“Pakistan categorically rejects such allegations.”

The spokesman recalled that the Pakistan government had already condemned the senseless killings in Mumbai with all sincerity, which was not a “formality” as had been characterized by Mr Advani.

Despite the negative reaction from him, he said, Pakistan “sympathizes and condoles with the families of the innocent civilians in Mumbai who have lost their lives or have been injured as a result of the terrorist bombings” on Monday.

“Knee-jerk reactions and blaming Pakistan for all wrongs in India is a familiar refrain that only tends to vitiate the atmosphere,” the spokesman further said.

It served no purpose to point accusing fingers at Pakistan and even worse to try to make domestic political capital out of such a gruesome tragedy, he said.

As to Mr Advani’s demand that Pakistan should hand over 19 suspects, the spokesman stated that Pakistan had already made it clear that the suspects were not on its soil.

“Besides rejecting Pakistan’s offer to investigate the acts of terrorism in India in the past, India has so far not provided any evidence about the presence of Indian suspects in Pakistan,” he added.

The spokesman recalled that even the Indian media had questioned the validity of India’s claim when New Delhi raised this issue in January 2001.—APP