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Provide unequivocal assistance: Rice

Islamabad: U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Thursday urged Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to assist India in the investigation into the Mumbai terror attacks and help bring the perpetrators to book.

“She urged the government of Pakistan to provide unequivocal assistance to India. Pakistan should be seen acting sincerely and quickly, she emphasised. Pakistan should also take the necessary steps to prevent any non-state actors from indulging in such activities against any country from its soil, she added,” according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s office.

In his meeting with Ms. Rice Mr. Gilani also reiterated Pakistan’s full co-operation to the Indian government in getting to the bottom of the attacks, and his government’s determination not to allow terrorists to use the country for their activities.

Ms. Rice told journalists that Pakistan must act with “urgency” on the information provided by India.

“This was a terrible attack. It was a sophisticated attack at a level of sophistication that we haven’t seen here on the subcontinent before. That means there’s an urgency to getting to the bottom of it,” she said.

“There’s an urgency to bringing the perpetrators to justice and there is an urgency to use the information to disrupt and prevent further attacks.”

Ms. Rice said the improving relations between India and Pakistan just prior to the attacks provided a good basis for their co-operation in the terror probe.

“Pakistan is very committed to this war on terror and does not in any way want to be associated with terrorism elements and is, indeed, committed to rooting them out wherever they find them," she said.

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