Pakistan offers “joint investigating mechanism”

P akistan has offered India a “joint investigating mechanism” to probe the Mumbai attacks, and said it could be headed by the National Security Advisers of both countries.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi made the offer in a “policy statement” telecast over the state-owned Pakistan Television. The statement followed India’s demarche demanding action to match the “sentiments” expressed by the Pakistani leadership.

Mr. Qureshi reiterated Islamabad’s offer of “full cooperation” and described terrorism as a menace that had to be “jointly” tackled.

Later, briefing envoys of the P-5 countries and the European Union, and what the state-owned media described as a “select group” of other envoys stationed here, Mr. Qureshi said Pakistan had proposed to India that a “Pakistan-India Joint Commission, suitably composed, be set up to work together on the Mumbai incident.”