MULTAN, Dec 21 The government and armed forces were fully alive to the situation and fully capable of countering any aggression, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said here on Sunday.

“The country has the right to defend itself,” he said while talking to media persons at the airport.

He refused to comment on the investigation being carried out in connection with the Mumbai attacks and said he could not say anything before the completion of the investigation.

“Pakistan has initiated its own investigation ... We are sincere and honest in our efforts to unveil facts,” he said, adding that it “is our responsibility to prove that allegations leveled against Pakistan are wrong”.

He said Pakistan was still waiting for information from India.

The investigation, he said, was not meant to please anyone. “We are doing it because it is in the best interest of Pakistan. We are moving forward while keeping in view the supreme national interests.”

He said that Pakistan being a part of the world community had to “pay attention to what others (countries) say”.

“We are trying to put our point of view before the world.”

Mr Qureshi said that Pakistan was not isolated and had many friends and “our stance is appreciated by European ambassadors”. He recalled that EU foreign ministers' meeting held in Brussels earlier this month had praised Pakistan's stance.

He said Pakistan's viewpoint was also appreciated at a meeting in Paris that was attended by foreign ministers of Central Asian states, India, Afghanistan, China and EU.

Answering a question about aggressive statements emanating from India, Mr Qureshi said that everybody needed to act reasonably.

He did not comment on Indian press reports that there was more to Hemant Karkare's killing than was being said. He said the question should be addressed to people who were related to the matter.

About press reports suggesting that Mumbai attack suspect had been caught by Indian authorities from Nepal two years ago, he said Pakistan was a responsible country and he could not comment on speculative reports.

He said that wise people in India believed that the two countries could not suffer another war because of some unwise elements. “War cannot offer any solution and future of the two nations cannot be put at stake because of unwise elements.”

“Our stance remains the same ... Pakistan is ready to cooperate in Mumbai attacks investigation and we will extend all possible cooperation,” he said. He added that Pakistan would take action in accordance with its own law against anyone found involved in the attacks.

He praised the positive role played by Pakistani media after the Mumbai attacks.

Referring to President Asif Ali Zardari's visit to Afghanistan, he said a new date had been decided and the visit would now take place in the first week of January.

He said “We hope the visit will give us a breakthrough in improving bilateral ties.”—APP