NEW DELHI — India brushed off speculation tying the latest Mumbai bombings to Pakistan and said Friday that it remained committed to recently renewed peace talks with its neighbor.
The moves showed how little appetite India has for escalating tensions in the region while it focuses on maintaining economic growth in the South Asian nation of 1.2 billion people.
Although future revelations about the culprits in the blasts that killed 17 people Wednesday could still sabotage relations between the countries, the Indian government so far has rejected opposition demands for a heavy response against Pakistan.
On Friday, India said it was working out dates for the next round of negotiations expected this month between top officials from both countries.
“The talks with Pakistan are on schedule,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash.
Pakistan’s leaders condemned the blasts and have welcomed India’s measured response. In a statement Friday, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani “expressed satisfaction at the resolve of both Pakistan and India to continue with their bilateral dialogue and not get deterred by terrorists’ designs to derail the dialogue once again.”
The coordinated triple bombings were the worst terrorist attack in India since 10 Pakistan-based militants rampaged through the city in November 2008, killing 166 people.
Investigators examined forensic evidence and footage from closed-circuit cameras Friday for clues about who orchestrated the blasts.
“People are being questioned on the basis of our previous database and known linkages. We also have identified the scooter in which one of the bombs was planted,” Indian Home Secretary R.K. Singh told reporters in New Delhi.
