ISLAMABAD, Dec 14: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown offered help to Pakistan and India on Sunday in investigating the Mumbai attacks. He also offered a new “pact against terror”.

Stressing the need for dialogue between Islamabad and New Delhi, Mr Brown said tension and conflict would achieve nothing.

Addressing a press conference at the President’s House after talks with President Asif Ali Zadari at the President House, he urged Pakistan to provide British investigators access to people detained during a crackdown on Jamaatud Dawa, including its chief Hafiz Saeed.

Blaming the outlawed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) for the Mumbai attacks, Mr Brown said: “It is now time for action, not words.”

He said that Pakistan and the UK would continue to work together on a counter-terrorism programme.

Mr Brown said although non-state actors in Pakistan had been linked with Mumbai attacks, the international community should help the country because it was one of the worst victims of terrorism with “over 50 suicide attacks inside the country during the past year”.

Mr Brown had said that British police wanted to question the suspects because at least three UK nationals were among the people killed in Mumbai.

He said President Zardari had assured him that action would be taken against anyone found involved in the Mumbai attacks, adding that other steps would be taken for a better dialogue mechanism to remove misunderstandings with India.

Proposing a new British-Pakistan pact against terror, Mr Brown said: “Three-quarters of most serious terrorist plots investigated by British authorities have links to Al Qaeda in Pakistan.”

Announcing a grant of £6 million for upgrading security apparatus, he said: “We have asked Pakistan to utilise this money for the purchase of car bomb detectors and scanners and training of the bomb disposal squads, airport security, counter-terrorism measures and improvement of police and forensics capabilities.” President Asif Zardari said terrorism was a regional problem and there was a need for broader international cooperation. “Pakistan has already offered joint investigation to India regarding the Mumbai attacks,” he said. “We are also victims of terrorism and feel the pain of the people of Mumbai.” He said joint investigations were an opportunity for Pakistan to cooperate with India.

The president said that although India had not provided any evidence to Pakistan about involvement of any Pakistani in the attacks, the government had started an investigation on its own.

“If there is any evidence that culprits of the Mumbai attack are in Pakistan, action will be taken against them,” Mr Zardari is reported to have told the British Prime Minister.