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Pak. arrests a step forward: Jaswant
By Atul Aneja
NEW DELHI, DEC. 31. After days of rising tensions with Pakistan, India today extended a guarded-welcome to the reported arrest of the chiefs of the two organisations suspected to have masterminded the December 13 attack on the Parliament House. The head of the parent body of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hafeez Mohammad Saeed, was reportedly arrested this morning. The Jaish-e-Mohammad chief, Maulana Masood Azhar, along with 50 of his supporters, has been remanded for 90 days.
`` If this information is confirmed then it is a right step in the right direction,'' the External Affairs Minister, Mr. Jaswant Singh, said striking a conciliatory note after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee of Security (CCS) this morning. These arrests by Pakistan have been apparently made in response to mounting U.S. pressure on it to curb terrorists and in the wake of the sizeable Indian troop build-up along the border.
India, however, made it categorical that these steps taken by Pakistan today were not enough. ``We hope that such actions against terrorists targeting India, including Jammu and Kashmir, would be pursued vigorously until cross-border terrorism in our country is completely eliminated,'' Mr. Singh said.
Elaborating on Mr. Singh's comments, the spokesperson of the External Affairs Ministry, Ms. Nirupama Rao, said this evening that India wanted to see ``the beginning of a new approach'' by Pakistan.
With Pakistan showing an inclination to crack down on India-centric terrorist groups, New Delhi this afternoon handed over a list of 20 wanted ``criminals and terrorists'', now residing in Pakistan. The list was handed over to the Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner, Mr. Jalil Abbas Jilani, by the Joint Secretary on the Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan desk in the External Affairs Ministry, Mr. Arun Singh. Government sources said India might hand over more such lists to Pakistan in the future.
Out of the 20 names, Pakistan was already acquainted with the names of 14, during the Agra summit. Six more names, mainly of Kashmiri terrorists, have now been added. This includes the Jaish chief, Maulana Masood Azhar, who has been implicated for his role in the October 1 attack on the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly and the December 13 attack.
The list mainly includes key individuals accused in the Mumbai blasts and the five who hijacked the Indian Airlines plane in December 1999. The prime accused in the Mumbai blasts are Dawood Ibrahim, Anees Ibrahim, Chotta Shakeel, Abu Salem and Tiger Memon. India had shared the information with the United States, the sources added.
While the handing over of the list is an important step, sources here emphasised that India's concerns went far beyond the arrest and repatriation of these individuals. India's prime objective was to see the permanent eradication of cross- border terrorism from Pakistani soil.
Not surprisingly, India, from now on, would look for ``serious and sustained action'' that would signify Pakistan's intention to end cross-border terrorism. India would gauge Pakistan's intent not by its public pronouncements alone. Instead, it would draw its conclusions by continuously and independently monitoring the evolving Pakistani disposition towards cross-border terrorism.
India's approach to the resumption of a dialogue with Pakistan remained linked to meaningful action on the ground against terrorism by Pakistan. Mr. Jaswant Singh may meet his Pakistani counterpart, Mr. Abdul Sattar, in Kathmandu. However, detailed discussions on substantive issues during such a meeting are unlikely. The spokesperson reiterated that India had opened its airspace to facilitate the Pakistan President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf's transit to Kathmandu for the SAARC summit following Pakistan's request. ``But is was now up to Pakistan choose this or any other option.''
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