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Published 21 Mar, 2013 08:40pm

Pakistan rejects alleged involvement in 1993 Mumbai blasts

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has categorically rejected reports by Indian media regarding the judgment of the Indian Supreme implicating Pakistani government agencies in the deadly Mumbai blasts which killed 257 people in 1993.

A spokesman for the Pakistan’s Foreign Office “categorically rejected any insinuations pointing to the involvement of the Government of Pakistan or any of its agencies in any such activity,” said a press statement issued Thursday.

A number of Indian news outlets reported the Indian Supreme Court as ruling that Pakistan and its intelligence agencies were complicit in the attacks.

The Times of India reported the apex court as concluding that Pakistan and its spy agencies “played a vital role in imparting training” to the accused in the case. It quoted the court as saying that the conspiracy was “hatched by Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memom” and “executed with the help of Pakistani authorities.”

The court said “the accused were trained in bomb making and to handle sophisticated weapons in Pakistan,” ZeeNews reported.

NDTV quoted the court as ruling that the “ISI was involved in the blasts”.

Pakistan denied the accusations.

“Pakistan is itself a victim of terrorism and has rendered immense sacrifices in the international fight against this menace,” said the Foreign Office.

“Pakistan has on numerous occasions offered cooperation to India in fighting terrorism through laid down bilateral mechanisms.”

The Pakistani Foreign Office added that a “detailed response could only be given once the (Indian Supreme Court) judgment had been studied in its totality.”

It added that the country remains committed to engaging with India “in a constructive, sustained and result-oriented dialogue process.”

Famous Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt was also one of the accused to be sentenced to a five-year jail term Thursday in the case.

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