Foreign Minister Qureshi says India has failed to respond to Pak overtures

Port of Spain, Nov.28 : Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Friday said that India has so far failed to respond to Islamabad's overtures on restarting the stalled composite dialogue process as also evidence with regard to the probe into the 26/11 terror attacks on Mumbai, which claimed 166 innocent lives.

Speaking in an interview to CNN-IBN, Qureshi said re-emphasised that Islamabad is very keen for New Delhi to respond and engage in a meaningful and constructive manner.

"I have always welcomed a meeting.but it has to be a meaningful meeting.it has to be a dialogue which is result oriented..We have had engagements we met on sidelines in New York..I shared with S M Krishna (Indian External Affairs Minister) a vision of the future," Qureshi said

"My roadmap of engagement for the future..they have to respond, the have failed to respond so far..Pak is interested in an engagement which is meaningful, result oriented..we are no longer interested in a photo opportunity," he added.

Commenting on the Indian Government''s repeated charge that Pakistan has failed to bring those behind Mumbai attacks to justice, Qureshi told CNN-IBN: "On the contrary, I think Pakistan has made reasonalble progress on the investigation..the trial has begun..they (accused) have been chargesheeted, they are under trial and we feel that we have collected sufficient evidence against them to argue a good case for their conviction. As far as Hafiz Saeed is considered, honestly the evidence provided is inadequate. We won't want to prosecute him, but if the case can''t stand in court, we can''t move forward on the matter."

Responding to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh''s recent statement in Kashmir that if Pakistan abjures terror, he was ready to meet Pakistan more than half way on talks, Foreign Minister Qureshi said: "I think we have to get out of the old mindset.We have to realise that there is a great opportunity coming our way ..if you want to limit the dialogue that will not be acceptable to Pakistan."

"Let us sit and talk, and talk as neighbours who have to co-exist, we have to help each other.The challenge..is too large. I think you (India) are being myopic ..you are being narrow minded..you have to look at the boader picture, and the broader picture demands co-operation and not confrontation," he concluded.

--ANI