The Hindu : Advani turns down Pak. invitation

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 10, 2002

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Advani turns down Pak. invitation
By Our Staff Reporter

GHAZIABAD, MARCH 9. The Union Home Minister, L. K. Advani, today turned down an invitation from his Pakistani counterpart, Moinuddin Haider, to visit Pakistan for discussing any issue, including the handing over of 20 terrorists sought by India, on the ground that there was ``no need to talk'' as it was time Islamabad demonstrated that it wanted to end cross-border terrorism.

Addressing the Raising Day Parade of the Central Industrial Security Force here, Mr. Advani said though he felt nostalgic about his birthplace, Karachi, the visit would not materialise as he believed that there was ``no need to discuss the list of 20 terrorists.''

Elaborating, he said ``they (Pakistan) know about those involved in the hijacking of the Indian Airlines plane to Kandahar and they know about those involved in the Mumbai serial blasts.'' India had ``provided details on the well-known terrorists in the list, about whom the world also knows.'' There was an Interpol red-corner notice on most of these terrorists and India would like Pakistan to hand them over as it was also a member of the Interpol.

Referring to Lt. Gen. (retd.) Haider's invitation, Mr. Advani recalled that he had stayed in Karachi for 20 years. ``I feel happy at being invited to my place of birth. In the past 50 years, I have visited it only once. That was in 1978 and I had felt really good visiting my old house, school and the lane in which I was brought up.'' But, ``I can only thank them for the invitation.''

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