Diplomat denies Pakistan role in Mumbai attacks

A senior Pakistani diplomat has said the Mumbai attacks were not planned in Pakistan and suggested yesterday that India's evidence linking Pakistan-based militants to the deadly sieges could be fabricated.

The comments from Wajid Shamsul Hasan, Pakistan's high commissioner to Britain, were the first from a senior Pakistani official since India handed over a dossier of evidence earlier this month that Delhi said proved the November siege that left 164 dead had been organised from Pakistan. "Pakistani territory was not used so far as the investigators have made their conclusions," Mr Hasan told India's NDTV news. "It could have been some other place."

But hours later, Pakistan's Prime Minister, Yousef Gilani, said Mr Hasan had spoken too soon and that his government was not ready to comment. India's package of evidence included details from interrogations of the lone surviving gunman. Mr Hasan indicated that Islamabad did not accept the evidence. "It could be fabricated," he said.