International
Not a shred of evidence, says Islamabad
By B. Muralidhar Reddy
ISLAMABAD, JAN. 1. Pakistan today said it could not be expected to act on the list of wanted persons given by India on Monday without proof (of their involvement in acts of terrorism in India) even as it said that it looked forward for opportunities in Kathmandu to sit across the table with the Indian Government to sort out differences.
The Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman, Mr. Aziz Ahmed Khan, and the Press Secretary to the Pakistan President, Maj. Gen. Rashid Quereshi, were categorical in their tone that India had not a `shred of evidence' in support of its demand for extradition of the 20 alleged criminals.
``India has not given us any evidence. It is difficult for us to even consider any action against these individuals if there is no evidence,'' Maj. Gen. Quereshi said in response to a pointed question.
When a reporter pointed out that the Jaish-e-Mohammad chief, Maulana Masood Azar, was involved in organising the hijack of the Indian Airlines flight in December 1999, Maj. Gen. Quereshi said his release by the Indian Government in exchange for the passengers on board the hijacked flight did not amount to proof.
Asked for the latest assessment of Islamabad on the Indo-Pakistan tension, Mr. Khan said the diplomatic channels were open and Pakistan was willing and ready to hold dialogue with India on all issues if New Delhi was prepared. He said Pakistan was in touch with a number of friendly countries and the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, had called up the Pakistan President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, on Monday.
``We hope the situation would be contained. We have made reasonable offer to sit across the table to negotiate all differences and look forward to opportunities at Kathmandu,'' Mr. Khan said.
Responding to a question on the new year message of the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, the spokesman said that Pakistan welcomed the path of dialogue and was in favour of re-starting the process that broke down at Agra. ``If Pakistan was practicing anti-India policy Gen. Musharraf would not have travelled to Agra,'' he said when asked about the reference by Mr. Vajpayee that Islamabad should give up its anti-India stance.
In response to a question, Maj. Gen. Quereshi said the Indian military build-up on the border continued and it was a source of threat to Pakistan. ``As long as there is a massive Indian troop presence and India retains the capacity to strike, we have reason to be concerned and alert.''
Maj. Gen. Quereshi said the Pakistan's moral and political support to the people of Kashmir in their struggle for their right to self-determination would continue. He maintained that support of Pakistan was not to individuals or groups but to the people of Kashmir and accused India of trying to eliminate the difference between `freedom struggle and terrorism'.
Talks with China
It now appears certain that Gen. Musharraf is to leave for Beijing on Thursday for talks with Chinese leaders on border tensions with India. Pakistan had said on Monday that Gen. Musharraf would not use the Indian airspace to travel to Kathmandu.
He is expected to go via China and halt at Beijing to hold talks with the Chinese Prime Minister, Zhu Rongji, on Thursday that will focus on bilateral relations as well as on tension between Pakistan and India. He will also attend a banquet being hosted by the Chinese premier for him at the Great Hall.
After an overnight stay in China he will fly to Kathmandu on Friday morning to attend the SAARC summit. The significance of the visit to Beijing at this juncture can be gauged from the fact that he was in China just a week ago.
The Pakistan Government announced that the British Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair, will arrive Islamabad on a two- day visit on January 7 on the last leg of his tour to Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. ``Regional issues will be discussed during his visit,'' the Foreign Office spokesman said.
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