Pak rejects Menon's remarks as "smear campaign"

Pakistan on Friday rejected India's charge that ISI was involved in the Mumbai terror attacks, alleging that it was a "manifestation of undisguised hostility" and "smear campaign" against Islamabad.

Pakistan Foreign office spokesman Abdul Basit stated this while reacting to Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon's remarks in an international conference in Paris on Thursday that the organisers of the Mumbai attacks were "clients and creations" of Pakistan's intelligence agency.

Menon's comments were "yet another manifestation of undisguised hostility and global smear campaign being conducted by India against Pakistan," Basit said.

"Pakistan rejects the allegations as these are far from reality and patently mala fide," Basit said. "These remarks are also inconsistent with the established norms of diplomatic parlance and are in sharp variance with restraint and responsibility demonstrated by Pakistan."

Basit said it was "Pakistan's earnest desire to defuse tensions in South Asia and it has offered cooperation in dealing with the issue of terrorism to India".

Pakistan intends to "demonstrate restraint and will refrain from commenting on India's internal affairs or pursuit of policies that are inconsistent with the goals of promoting
peace, security and stability in South Asia," he said.