WASHINGTON - Bombings which killed more than 160 people in Mumbai, India Tuesday showed that Pakistan and India need to resolve disputes that can be exploited by extremists, Pakistan's foreign minister said.
Foreign Minister Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri, echoing statements from Islamabad, condemned what he called the "absolutely horrendous" attacks on crowded commuter trains and stations in India's financial hub.
"I think the Mumbai incident -- however tragic it may be and it is undoubtedly very tragic -- underlines the need for the two countries to work together to control this environment, but they can only do so if they resolve their disputes," he told Reuters in an interview during a visit to Washington.
"I think we should try and take advantage of this improved atmosphere and resolve outstanding disputes, particularly the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir," Kasuri said, referring to the two countries' gradual reconciliation process.
Kashmir has been split between India and Pakistan since shortly after the two countries gained independence from Britain in 1947, but both claim it in full. The dispute fuels friction between New Delhi and Islamabad.
Kasuri said that the Mumbai blast and other recent bombings in India and Pakistan show that "anything can go wrong anywhere in India and Pakistan" and escalate into trouble.
"If you have these disputes, it enables negative forces in both countries to blame the other country and exploit the sentiment," he said.
The foreign secretaries of the India and Pakistan are due to met in New Delhi on July 20 to discuss confidence-building measures between the nuclear-armed neighbors, who have fought three wars since 1948.
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