Pakistan rejects "unsubstantiated" Mumbai allegations

By Zeeshan Haider

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan rejected on Monday what it called unsubstantiated allegations of complicity in the militant assault on Mumbai and sought help from allies to reduce tension with India.

India said it had called Pakistan's envoy and informed him that deadly attacks in Mumbai were carried out by militants from Pakistan and demanded swift action against those responsible.

Pakistan condemned the assault as a "barbaric act of terrorism" and has denied any involvement by state agencies but tension between the nuclear-armed neighbours has risen.

Pakistan has vowed to cooperate with India in investigating the attack although it backtracked on a decision to send the chief of its main Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) security agency.

Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir repeated Pakistan's condemnation and its offer of cooperation in a meeting with India's high commissioner in Islamabad. He also rejected Indian media reports of Pakistani involvement.

"The foreign secretary refuted the unsubstantiated allegations by the Indian media of Pakistan's complicity in the Mumbai incident," Bashir's ministry said.

India has said it has raised security to a "war level" and has no doubt about a Pakistani link.

Pakistan and India went to the brink of their fourth war after a 2001 attack on the Indian parliament that New Delhi also blamed on Pakistan-based militants.