Pakistan won't hand over Mumbai suspects

MULTAN, Pakistan, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Pakistan reiterated Sunday it will not hand over to India suspects in last year's Mumbai terror attacks, observers said.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told reporters in Multan Sunday the country's policy had not changed after a call this weekend from Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that Pakistan relinquish terrorists responsible for the Mumbai attacks, Xinhua, the state-run Chinese news service, reported.

"We do not have an extradition treaty with India," Qureshi said, adding that although the terror attacks had damaged relations with India, tensions had been reduced in recent weeks though not fully eliminated.

"There is a pause in the composite dialogue (with India) but we will endeavor to end this pause and move towards normal relations. We must emerge from the stress that has developed in our relations," Xinhua reported Qureshi saying.

"The Mumbai incident was a serious matter. There were great losses. Now we should find a solution that such attacks do not take place in India, Pakistan and any other country in future," he said.