Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has summoned a national security conference to be held on December 2 to review the situation arising out of the attacks in the Indian commercial city of Mumbai, according to an official?in Islamabad?on Sunday.
Gilani has invited some political leaders to attend the conference to discuss the strategy to deal with the situation, a spokesman for the prime minister said.
 |
|
Firefighters douse a blaze at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai November 29, 2008. [Xinhua/Reuters] |
Earlier, his spokesman said that Gilani had canceled a trip to Hong Kong to concentrate on addressing growing tensions with India after the Mumbai terror attacks.
Gilani was due to attend the Clinton Global Initiative summit on December 2-3 but his spokesman said that he would instead deal with Indian allegations that terrorists who killed over 100 people in its financial hub came from Pakistan.
Gilani was holding consultations with military and political leaders and would send a special assistant to take his place at the conference, he said.
The Mumbai attacks have heightened tension between Pakistan and Indian as several Indian leaders have claimed that elements in Pakistan are behind the attacks.
 |
|
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi speaks during a news conference at the foreign ministry in Islamabad November 29, 2008. Tension between nuclear-armed Pakistan and India is serious after the assault on the Indian city of Mumbai and both countries must act to defuse it, Qureshi said on Saturday. [Xinhua/Reuters]? |
Islamabad has denied any role and asked India to provide evidence about the involvement of elements in Pakistan to take action against them.
Leaders in Pakistan have condemned the Mumbai attacks and pledged action against any group found to be involved, saying that any increase in India-Pakistan tensions would be a victory for the extremists.
(Xinhua News Agency December 1, 2008)