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Musharraf Relents on India's 'List of 20', 'Palestinian Formula' Mooted
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Dawood Ibrahim
(Indian), Masood
Azhar (Pakistani) : people on the Indian
wanted list
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By IOL South Asia Correspondent
NEW
DELHI, May 28 (IslamOnline) - Virtually admitting for the first time
that "cross-border infiltration" of militants into India is
a fact, Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf has now agreed to
yield some ground to India on the question of handing over 20-wanted
"terrorists" whose extradition New Delhi had demanded in the
wake of the December 13 attack on the Indian parliament, informed
sources told IslamOnline.
In
a significant climb down Pakistan has now agreed for the deportation
of some of the so-called "terrorists" on the Indian
"list of 20" to a third country. Taking a cue from the
"Palestinian formula," the transfer of the
"terrorists" would be to a neighboring country or to a third
neutral country where they could be imprisoned.
According
to Indian media sources, this proposal was mooted in a meeting of the
U.S. Ambassador to India Robert Blackwill and Indian Home Minister Lal
Krishna Advani last Friday, May 24. However, sources added, Advani
turned down the proposal because he wants the U.S. to do "much
more." Advani had been in the forefront of the Indian leaders to
express disappointment with the U.S. in New Delhi's crusade against
"terrorism."
Regarding
this offer, Advani reportedly told Blackwill: "India cannot
accept the offer as General Pervez Musharraf's actions have failed to
match his words." United States' role too came under a sharp
rebuke. "If U.S. can pressure General Musharraf to deport these
terrorists out of Pakistan then why can't he be pressured to hand them
over to India? U.S. can certainly extract much more from
Musharraf," said a top Indian official.
After
the December 13 attack on Parliament, the Indian government handed
over a list of 20 most wanted "terrorists" to Pakistan which
included Maulana Massod Azhar, Saiyed Omar Sheikh, and prime accused
in the Bombay blasts, Dawood Ibrahim. The first is a Pakistani
citizen, the second a British national now under arrest in Pakistan
for his role in the murder of Wall Street Journal correspondent
Pearl, while the third is a well-known Indian mafia don who is said to
be operating from Karachi and Dubai.
The
Indian side said that as a show of proof that it had curbed the
militants, Pakistan must take a concrete step by handing over at least
some of the said "terrorists" most of whom are Indian
nationals who have fled the country after committing crimes of various
nature.
Pakistan
has said all along that the Indians on the list do not exist in
Pakistan and that the Pakistanis on the list will be tried before
Pakistani courts if there are any specific charges against them.
Indian
experts on Pakistan said that Musharraf's climb down has come about
because of India's "successful" diplomacy. Earlier, the
American proposal to provide a month's time to Pakistan to see
"evident changes" related to infiltration was stoutly turned
down by New Delhi which has given only two weeks' time to Pakistan.
Meanwhile,
Musharraf has assured foreign interlocutors that Pakistani territory
would not be used as a launching pad for terrorists. In an important
step, he has ordered his 10 Corps to block cross-border infiltration
points.
Tension between the two countries is already on a
high-pitch. All-round diplomacy is being employed to save the
subcontinent from ravages of war.
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