Tuesday, Mar 12, 2002
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NEW DELHI, MARCH 11. India today brushed aside a Pakistani suggestion for an agreement, by which either side would deny the use of its territory for cross-border terrorism, and reiterated that Islamabad had not responded positively to its demand to check infiltration. Responding to questions, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Nirupama Rao, said the proposal of the Pakistan Foreign Minister, Abdul Sattar, through the media, had already been addressed in detail under the 1972 Shimla Accord. According to Government sources, Pakistan had put forward a similar proposal during the SAARC summit in Kathmandu. India, however, had said that instead of a joint statement - as sought by Islamabad - a separate statement in which Pakistan made an explicit reference to cross-border terrorism could be considered. However, progress on the issue was stalled because in its individual draft, which was subsequently given to the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Brajesh Mishra, Pakistan had avoided referring to cross-border terrorism. India also described Pakistan's advocacy of an extradition treaty as ``delaying tactics.'' Pakistan could take action on the list of 20 fugitives provided by India under the 1989 agreement between the Central Bureau of Investigation and Pakistan's Federal Investigating Agency, Ms. Rao said. By referring to the return of 7 to 10 fugitives out of India's list of 20, the Information and Broadcasting Minister, Sushma Swaraj, during her visit to Islamabad, wished to highlight the point that New Delhi would see such a step by Pakistan as ``a starting point and an indication of its intent'' for further action. According to the spokesperson, Pakistan had not taken any action on the Indian list of 20 criminals and terrorists so far. On the reported remark of Pakistan's Interior Minister, Moinuddin Haider, that Islamabad was willing to re- prioritise the question of Jammu and Kashmir during future discussions with India, she declined comment. However, she stressed that New Delhi had been advocating the conduct of a ``composite dialogue'' which covered eight subjects, including Jammu and Kashmir.
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