Pak says it is prepared to defend itself

Pakistan asserted that it was prepared to defend itself if any aggression or war was imposed on the country, even as Islamabad said it will be "irresponsible" to speculate on the Mumbai attacks before the results of the probe are out.

Updated on: Dec 22, 2008, 01:13:18 IST

PTI | By Rezaul H Laskar, Islamabad

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Pakistan on Sunday asserted that it was prepared to defend itself if any aggression or war was imposed on the country, even as Islamabad said it will be "irresponsible" to speculate on the Mumbai attacks before the results of the probe are out.

"We do not want aggression or war and we want peace. But if war is imposed on us, we have the capability and right to defend ourselves," Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told reporters in Multan in reply to a question about the tensions between India and Pakistan.

"Pakistan's defence and security is complete. Pakistan's government and armed forces are alert. We have every right to defend the country," he added.

Noting that it was in the interest of both Pakistan and India to defuse tensions instead of escalating the situation, Qureshi reiterated Islamabad's offer to cooperate with New Delhi to probe the terrorist attacks on India's financial hub that killed over 180 people.

"We are ready for cooperation because this is in our interests. We have only one policy how to defend Pakistan's interests," he said, adding that Pakistan condemned terrorism across the world.

"It is easy to talk emotionally, but at this time, the whole region needs to act with wisdom and not passion."
"Pakistan is still waiting for India to provide evidence about the Mumbai attacks and it will be irresponsible to comment or speculate on the incident before the results of the investigation are presented," he said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rezaul H Laskar
Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015. He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations. He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country. He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack. As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest. He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More