Washington: US President George W. Bush has asked India and Pakistan to cooperate with each other in the investigation of the Nov 26 Mumbai terror attack blamed on the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

In separate telephone calls to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari Wednesday, Bush also asked the two countries to cooperate on counter-terrorism in general, the White House said.

He "urged both countries to cooperate with each other in the Mumbai attack investigation, as well as on counter-terrorism in general", spokesperson Gordon Johndroe told reporters at Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, where the president is vacationing.

"All three leaders from the United States, India and Pakistan, agreed that no one wanted to take any steps that unnecessarily raised tensions," he said.

Johndroe declined to go into details when asked if Bush talked about whether or not a Pakistani militant, who according to reports out of Islamabad has confessed to his involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks, should be extradited and go on trial in India.

"I'm not going to get into details. I don't recall that specific issue coming up, that specific element coming up," he said.

"The calls he (Bush) had with Prime Minister Singh, and separately with President Zardari, were encouraging the sides to cooperate not only on the Mumbai investigation, but also on counter-terrorism in general. And I'll leave it at that," Johndroe said.

 

Source : IANS