26/11: Pak asks media not to speculate on probe

Ahead of a crucial meeting of top officials in New Delhi to discuss the preliminary report on Pakistan's probe into India's dossier on the Mumbai attacks, Islamabad has said its response will be shared with New Delhi "as soon as possible" after the legal process is over.

"Pakistan stands committed to bringing the perpetrators to justice. Media is requested not to speculate on the outcome of the inquiry till it is made public," an Interior Ministry spokesman said.

He said Pakistan's "response will be shared with the government of India through diplomatic channels after due legal process as soon as possible".

His remark came ahead of a high-level meeting to be chaired by Pakistan's Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik on Saturday to discuss the preliminary report on Pakistan's probe into the dossier provided by India on the 26/11 attacks.

A three-member team of the Federal Investigation Agency, set up to examine the Indian dossier and other aspects of the on the Mumbai incident, submitted its report to Malik on Friday.

The meeting to be chaired by Malik will be attended by top officials of the Interior and Law ministries.

The investigation team had covered "every aspect" of the Mumbai attacks in its report, sources were quoted as saying by The News daily.

The report has termed the information provided by India as 'insufficient', the sources said.

"I have seen the report and forwarded it to Interior Secretary Syed Kamal Shah for further examining it in consultation with the Ministry of Law," Malik told media persons after a meeting with FIA officials late Friday night.

"I must reassure the international community that the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks would be brought to justice," he said.

An earlier Pakistani media report had said that the investigation team had concluded that the Mumbai attacks were not planned on Pakistani soil.

Malik had directed the investigation team on January 17 to complete its preliminary probe within 10 days. The team was subsequently given more time to complete its work.

The team's report is expected to be made public only after Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani returns to Pakistan from the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Pakistani officials have also said that if any Pakistani national is found to be involved in the Mumbai attacks, he will be tried in accordance with the country's laws and will not be handed over to India.

Any such trial will be held in camera, official sources told PTI.

The sources said Pakistan wanted to try such people because non-state actors had embarrassed the country and tarnished its image.