New Delhi, Feb 23 : External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said India is ready to cooperate with Pakistan, but underlined that the request should come through official channels only.

Talking to reporters here, Mukherjee said, "Whatever information we get from Pakistan, we respond to it. But information must be made available through official channels and not through media."

New Delhi, Feb 23 : External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee claimed on Monday that tax collections have more than doubled since the United Progressive Alliance came to power in May 2004.

Direct and indirect tax collections have grown at an impressive pace over the past few years and it stands at about six lakh crore rupees annually, said Mukherjee after laying the foundation stone of Rajaswa Bhawan in New Delhi.

Kolkata, Feb 22 : External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday said that Pakistan has been showing reluctance to hand over the arrested individuals by its authorities in connection with Mumbai terror attacks of last November.

"Though, Pakistan promised to help India into the investigation of Mumbai attacks, but it was reluctant to hand over the militants to India," Mukherjee told media persons on the sidelines of a meeting at the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), adding, "Pakistan is still in denial mood, we know it."

The industry has been requested by foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee to cut salaries instead of cutting jobs to fight the bad times of financial meltdown across the globe, which has led to major cut in jobs in recent past.

According to Mr. Mukherjee, who also holds the charge of the finance ministry, there was a need to protect the labour force, even if it meant a slight reduction in emoluments.

Murshidabad, Feb 21 : Union External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday appealed to the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to come to a peaceful negotiated settlement.

"Political solution is the only way out and the two sides should sit across the table for a negotiated settlement," Mukherjee told media persons on the sidelines of a function at Raghunath Ganj here.

He expressed his views after the latest air raids by LTTE over Colombo.

New Delhi, Feb 21 : External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has ridiculed Pakistan for denying the presence of Jaish-e-Mohammad Chief Masood Azhar in that country.