New Delhi: Hours after India blamed "some elements in Pakistan" for the terror strikes in Mumbai, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi Friday said that India should have "pondered more" before coming to a conclusion.

While condemning the "barbaric, inhuman" attacks in Mumbai that have claimed at least 143 lives and left more than 320 injured, the Pakistan minister said: "The Indian government should have pondered more, reflected more before coming to a conclusion."

He was reacting to External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's statement: "According to preliminary information, some elements in Pakistan are responsible for the Mumbai terror attacks."

"I understand the pain and anger (of India). We have to rise above politics and I'm sure the leadership in India is very mature and responsible. I do understand that there are domestic compulsions with some states going to elections."

"I am mourning with you. And I am equally sad," he said.

Qureshi, who is here on a four-day visit, said his principal objective in coming to India was to build bridges.

"I wanted and want to turn the tide of confrontation to cooperation," he said at a media interaction organised by the Indian Women's Press Corps.

Earlier in Ajmer, Qureshi urged New Delhi not to "play politics" and underlined that the two countries need to tackle this "collective issue" of terrorism together.

"Do not be jingoistic. Understand the sentiments behind it," he told reporters in Ajmer before coming to New Delhi.

"We are fighting the same issue. We are facing the common enemy. Do not bring politics into it," Qureshi said.

"This is a collective issue. We have to join hands (to fight terrorism)," Qureshi had stressed.

 

Source : ians