India on Tuesday appraised Britain of evidence of Pakistani involvement in the Mumbai train blasts as the two countries agreed on a package of new measures of cooperation to fight terrorism.
The broad outline of the evidence with regard to the Mumbai blasts was provided during talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his British counterpart Tony Blair, who asserted that "strong signals" needed to be sent out that "terrorism cannot be tolerated" whether in Mumbai, Kashmir or London.
Addressing a joint press conference with Blair after their 90-minute meeting, Singh said India will provide "credible evidence" to Pakistan regarding the July 11 train blasts, taking "advantage" of Islamabad's offer of cooperation in the probe into the deadly attacks that killed nearly 200.
Singh said the Mumbai and London attacks are reminders of the common terrorist threats faced by the two countries, while Blair said that "no country, no government and no state" should support terrorism.
Singh and Blair also discussed the North Korean nuclear test and shared concerns over clandestine proliferation in the atomic field, particularly that emanating from Pakistan.
Recognising the need for cooperation between them to combat terrorism, India and Britain decided on a package of new measures for this. These include enhancing cooperation between security agencies of the two countries in terms of sharing of intelligence and ensuring security at vulnerable sites while learning practical lessons from attacks on mass transit systems.
The two countries will work for contingency plans to foil terrorist attacks and cooperate in ensuring security at economic and industrial sites, Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma told reporters after the meeting.
The cooperation assumes special significance as the two countries are hosting two mega sporting events in the next few years - Delhi will host the Commonwealth Games in 2010 while London will host the Olympic Games in 2012.
To a question on Kashmir, Singh referred to his meeting with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf in Havana in September and said that the two leaders had "reaffirmed our commitment to discuss and resolve all outstanding issues including J and K."
He noted that the two countries had agreed to set up an institutional mechanism to deal with terrorism and that mechanism is in the process of being worked out. "We agreed that we ought to send strong signals everywhere that terrorism cannot be tolerated, whether it is in Mumbai, whether it is in London or whether it is in Kashmir," Blair said after his talks with Singh during which terrorism figured prominently.
He said terrorism was something "...we should not tolerate and no country, no government and no state should support it."
Asked whether India will share evidence with regard to the Mumbai blasts with Pakistan in view of the latter's offer to cooperate in investigations into the incident, Singh said "yes, we will take advantage of that offer of Pakistan and we will provide, what we consider, is credible evidence."
Mumbai police recently asserted that its investigation into the serial train blasts had revealed that Pakistan's ISI and terror groups like Lashkar-e-Tayiba based in that country were behind the attacks that killed nearly 200 and injured over 800 people.
"We agreed that there is need for a coherent global effort with shared perspectives and commitments to combat terrorism wherever and whenever such attacks take place," Singh said. Noting that terrorist elements were growing, the British Prime Minister said his country and India needed to cooperate and "we are doing it".
More from rediff