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| Chances of rapprochement recede | | Delhi against Musharraf move, asks to return militants | | SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, JULY 22: In what is being seen as an act to further exert pressure on Islamabad, New Delhi, in a strong riposte, has countered Pakistan President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf’s latest statement, seeking material evidences from India on whether Pakistan was actually ‘aiding and abetting’ terrorism against India.
Firing the latest in what foreign policy observers here called as the beginning of the Indo-Pak blame game, India stated that there were enough evidences of Pakistan’s involvement in perpetrating acts of terrorism against Indian soil and key evidences have been shared with Islamabad time and again, as part of the Composite Dialogue Process. New Delhi said such evidences so far have proved to be of no use to Pakistan. The Ministry of External Affairs, while giving its reaction on Gen. Musharraf’s assertion seeking ‘proof’ in a nationally televised address, said: “We will give Pakistan the proof, if it wants yet again. But what about the indemnity that Pakistan had undertaken on peace with India?”
Gen. Musharraf had said: “I want to assure the Government of India that Pakistan will cooperate with it to identify the terrorists, if you give us proof”. However, reminding Islamabad that Dawood Ibrahim was comfortably ensconced in Pakistan, India said New Delhi has made many attempts for his expatriation without any success. Also Hizbul Mujahideen chief has been seen in Pakistan hobnobbing with known Islamabad leaders despite his organisation been actively involved in fighting India’s sovereignty over Jammu and Kashmir. Jaish-e-Mohammad chief, Masood Azhar, who was freed from Indian prison in exchange for passengers on hijacked Indian Airlines jet, has been in Pakistan.
“Pakistan has allowed its territory under its control to be used for any terrorist activities against India,” said officials. The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Navtej Sarna, said: “The self-styled chief of the Hizbul Mujahideen Syed Salahuddin, who is freely roaming in Pakistan and PoK and has appeared on the same stage as many ministers of the federal government of Pakistan, should be arrested and handed over to India.”
He also asked Islamabad to ban Jamaat-ud-Dawa, a political outfit of Lashkar-e-Taiba, and arrest its leaders, who were found fomenting a proxy war against India. “Instead of saying the Jamaat-ul-Dawa outfit is being kept under close watch, the organisation should be banned and its leaders should be arrested,” he said.
"Besides, Dawood Ibrahim, who has been listed by the UN Security Council‚s 1267 Committee as an individual associated with Al-Qaeda, should be arrested and deported to India", Sarna said reacting on comments by President Musharraf that his country would cooperate with India in investigations into the Mumbai blasts, if New Delhi provides evidence.
However, he affirmed India's commitment to the Composite Dialogue Process with Islamabad saying that this can be sustained and can yield positive results only if Pakistan acts against terrorist groups operating from its territory and PoK ‘in accordance with its solemn commitment of January 6, 2004.’ He said “if they (Pakistan) really want to convince the people of India that they are willing to work together with India against terrorism then they have to take some action immediately and they can.” |
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