Former Premier Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday said Pakistan should "seriously" consider the evidence handed over by India on the Mumbai attacks and highlighted the need to keep the direct communication channel between the two countries open to avoid "misunderstandings".
"We should seriously take notice of the evidence that has been received and pay attention to it. At the least, we should not give anyone an opportunity to say that Pakistan is dragging its feet to investigate the matter," said Sharif, the chief of the opposition PML-N party.
Calling for a joint investigation of the Mumbai attacks by Pakistan and India, he told a news conference here that the two countries should try to avoid "point-scoring" and keep open the channel of communications to avoid misunderstandings.
"We should fulfill our responsibilities and convince India to work with us to conduct an inquiry. There should not be any point-scoring because that will be damaging and disastrous for both countries," he said.
Asked about information on the Mumbai incident being shared by India with Pakistan through the US, Sharif said: "I think India should open a channel for direct communication with Pakistan. If this channel has been closed for some reason, both countries should make efforts to open it again.
{{/usCountry}}Asked about information on the Mumbai incident being shared by India with Pakistan through the US, Sharif said: "I think India should open a channel for direct communication with Pakistan. If this channel has been closed for some reason, both countries should make efforts to open it again.
{{/usCountry}}"A communication gap leads to an increase in misunderstandings and the situation gets worse. The situation gets to a stage where it will not be manageable. This communication channel should not be closed under any circumstances."
India has accused Pakistan of not taking action on its dossier on the Mumbai attacks. The dossier includes the confession of Ajmal Amir Iman 'Kasab', the lone Pakistani terrorist captured during the attacks, and transcripts of phone conversations between the attackers and their Pakistan-based handlers.
After weeks of denial, Pakistan recently acknowledged Kasab as a Pakistani national. Pakistan has also said it is conducting its own investigation into the information shared by India but will not hand over any suspect to any other country.
Sharif also called on the world community to address the root causes of terrorism, noting that the Israeli aggression in Palestine is encouraging "non-state elements to act".