PTI
 
New Delhi, Jul 12: India on Wednesday described as "appalling" Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri's statement which sought to link the blatant and inhuman bomb blasts in Mumbai to the so called lack of resolution of disputes between the two countries.

New Delhi asked Islamabad to take urgent steps to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism existing in territories controlled by Pakistan and act in the spirit of the Joint Statement reached between the two countries on January 6, 2004.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesman Navtej Sarna said "no cause" could justify killing of innocent people. Reacting to remarks attributed to Kasuri, who is currently in the US, Sarna said "we find it appalling that Foreign Minister Kasuri should seek to link the blatant and inhuman act of terrorism against innocent men, women and children to so called lack of resolution of disputes between India and Pakistan".

Kasuri has said the "best way" of dealing with extremism in South Asia is to tackle "real issue" of Jammu and Kashmir.

Noting that not much progress has been made on Kashmir problem, he said "incremental approach is good but now we must tackle real issues. And this is the best way of tackling extremism in South Asia".

Sarna said Kasuri's remarks "appeared to suggest that Pakistan will cooperate with India against the scourge of cross border terrorism only if so called disputes are resolved". "Terrorism cannot be tolerated on any ground whatsover and no cause justifies murder of innocent people," he said.

The spokesman hoped Pakistan rejects such linkage and "joins hand with India to defeat the forces of terrorism based on ideology of extremism and violence".