Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari said Pakistan was in no way responsible for Mumbai attacks, the News Network International (NNI) news agency reported on Wednesday.

In an interview with Cable News Network (CNN), Zardari also said there was no evidence that a suspect in custody was a Pakistani national as Indian officials claimed, according to the NNI.

Zardari pointed out that the state of Pakistan was not involved and was part of the victims and he was sorry for the Indians.

Talking about the terrorist captured by Indian police during the attacks, Zardari said, "We have not been given any tangible proof to say that he is definitely a Pakistani. I very much doubt it...that he is a Pakistani."

These are stateless actors who have been operating all throughout the region, Zardari said, the gunmen plus the planners, whoever they were, were stateless actors who had been holding hostage the whole world.

The NNI quoted Zardari as saying that he was willing to have Pakistani security officials to join forces with India in a joint investigation.

If proof of any Pakistani individual's involvement is provided, Zardari said, "We would try them in our courts, we would try them in our land, and we would sentence them."

Asked about the possibility of Indian military strikes against terrorist camps in Pakistan, Zardari said: "I would not agree with that because this is a time to come together and do a joint investigation and look at the problem in the larger context."

India has blamed Pakistan-based elements for the Mumbai attacks and asked Pakistan to take action against them. India has also handed over a list of 20 wanted men and criminals believed to be in Pakistan and asked for them to be handed over.

In response, Pakistan said it would examine India's list of wanted men. Pakistan on Tuesday offered to set up a joint investigating mechanism to probe the Mumbai attacks which killed 172 people and injured 239.

(Xinhua News Agency December 3, 2008)