ISLAMABAD, July 18: The foreign office on Monday declared that the Pakistan was extending ‘maximum’ cooperation to the British agencies in connection with investigation into the London bomb attacks. “We are extending maximum cooperation and it is appreciated by the British side and all sides are satisfied with it,” said foreign office spokesman Jalil Abbas Jilani in reply to a question at his weekly press briefing.

Without going into the specifics of the cooperation, he added: “The British government has expressed gratitude for the type of cooperation being extended to it.”

He pointed out that Pakistan had ongoing cooperation with the British security agencies.

He refused to confirm that two of the bombers had visited Pakistan in the recent past. When his attention was drawn to reports quoting Pakistani authorities as having confirmed this, he said: “I have no confirmation of that.”

On speculation about the London bombers, Mr Jilani cautioned that it was not prudent to prejudge, speculate or say anything that would prejudice investigation.

Answering a question, he said the terrorism phenomenon was of as great a concern to Pakistan as to any other government in the world. “We are confident that the US government is convinced of the kind of steps Pakistan has taken to address this menace. Our commitment is very much there and appreciated by all.”

Mr Jilani asserted that the government was under no pressure to launch a crackdown on extremists or militants. Referring to the operation in North Waziristan on Saturday, he said whenever the security agencies received ‘credible information’ an operation was launched and it was not prompted by any pressure. He maintained that such operations were part of Pakistan’s commitment to the fight against terrorism.

About continuing Indian allegations of cross-border terrorism and terrorist camps on the Pakistan side of the Line of Control, the spokesman said these charges were baseless. Warning that such charges were not helpful at a time when the two countries were engaged in the dialogue process, he said sincerity to the peace process demanded that all issues be discussed at the table.

“We are committed to the peace process and have reason to believe that the Indian prime minister is also committed to it as he is on record having said that the peace process was irreversible,” said Mr Jilani, who held his last news briefing on Monday.

In reply to a question, he stressed the importance of raising the comfort level of the Kashmiris and making them part of the dialogue process.

Mr Jilani conceded that as director-general South Asia division, who had been representing Pakistan in the composite dialogue with India, he was disappointed.

“I am not satisfied with the pace of the composite dialogue process and I would have expected more substantive progress.”

He, however, said that given the improved atmosphere between the two countries there was still hope for some headway.

KISHANGANGA: The spokesman said that Pakistan’s Indus Water Commissioner had proposed to his Indian counterpart July 30 and August 1 as dates for final talks on the controversial Kishanganga hydropower project instead of the August 4-6 suggested by the latter.

He said that since the Pakistani officials involved in these talks would already be in India until July 29 for the Baglihar site tour it would be logical that the Kishanganga talks were held on July 30.

The spokesman faced several questions on why Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz’s planned visit to the United States had been deferred and insisted that the reasons were ‘domestic’. He dispelled the impression that there was an Indian factor involved in the postponement of the visit. “The Indian government or the Indian lobby has nothing to do with it,” he asserted.

He cited floods and the forthcoming local body elections as the reasons for the postponement, emphasizing that the second round of these elections were ‘very important’.

The spokesman kept quiet when asked by if he could state that the prime minister’s planned visit to Japan next month, falling on the eve of the local body elections, would not be affected.

Mr Jilani said the prime minister would be visiting Kabul on July 24.