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Journalism of Courage
WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD, JAN 4: In a swift reaction to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee8217;s demand for declaring Pakistan a terrorist state, the US has rejected the demand but urged all concerned states to take action for ensuring that the hijackers were arrested and prosecuted.
8220;The Pakistanis have told us that they condemn these acts of terrorism and that they will meet their obligation to apprehend the hijackers and bring them to justice,8221; State Department spokesman James Rubin told reporters yesterday in Shepherdstown, the venue of the West Asia peace talks.
The US, he said, is strongly urging that any and all states involved take action to ensure that the hijackers were captured and prosecuted, Rubin said. Otherwise, they should 8220;extradite the hijackers to a place where they can be apprehended and prosecuted8221;.
8220;We continue to work with the countries in the region,8221; Rubin said. 8220;We think they must be brought to justice to remind all nations of their international obligations associated with theconvention on hijacking.8221;Despite the US8217;s strong opposition to any deal with terrorists, Rubin refused to criticise the Indian Government for releasing three militants to obtain the freedom of 155 hostages on board the hijacked plane.
8220;The US,8221; Rubin said, 8220;cannot second guess or judge how the Indian Government handled the hijacking. This incident presented very difficult decisions for the Indian Government. Obviously, they weighed all options after days of negotiations and rigorous domestic debate.8221;
On the disappearance of the hijackers, he said there continues to be 8220;conflicting statements about who is responsible for the hijacking and where the hijackers are. We support a thorough police investigation.8221;Meanwhile, Pakistan8217;s military ruler, General Pervez Musharraf, today rejected India8217;s allegations that Islamabad was behind the hijacking and urged restraint over the affair. He also told reporters that the statement by Vajpayee yesterday that Pakistan should be declared a terrorist statestrengthened his suspicion of an Indian conspiracy to malign his country.8220;It8217;s very sad that Mr Vajpayee has made this statement because we have right through the incident played a very positive role,8221; Gen Musharraf said.
He said Pakistan had 8220;tried to assist on humanitarian grounds to resolve the issue as amicably as possible8221; and had expected India8217;s thanks for this. 8220;But unfortunately their response is quite the opposite, which surprises me.8221; He added it was a ploy to deflect criticism. 8220;We know internally there is a great pressure on them for their inefficient, inept handling of this tragic incident8230;so this is their old habit.8221; 8220;I would ask Mr Vajpayee to play cool and not get involved in building this hype against Pakistan because this is not the requirement of a peaceful future for the region,8221; he said.
He ruled out any dialogue with India in the prevailing tensions between the two countries. 8220;We will enter into a dialogue with equality, and never will we compromise our honour anddignity,8221; he said when asked about any possibility of a resumption of the peace process that was derailed over Kargil.
8220;The statement that has been made by the Prime Minister of India exposes the Indian desire to isolate Pakistan in the world community,8221; said Pakistan Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar. 8220;Pakistan will never succumb to these designs of India. Pakistan will, inshallah god willing, remain a part of the mainstream of international opinion.8221; Sattar said the Indian Government had not given a shred of evidence to back its accusations that the hijackers were Pakistanis. 8220;On the contrary, Indian Airlines has said that no Pakistani national was aboard flight IC-814. India has not given us or the world anything more than the names. How does a name identify a nationality?8221; Sattar said.
In a new development, a Pakistan military spokesman said in Karachi today that militant guru Maulana Masood Azhar, freed by India in a deal with the hijackers, can return home if his Pakistani identity wasestablished. 8220;He has a right to come back to Pakistan but only if he is the genuine one. He has not committed any offence,8221; Brig Rashid Qureshi told reporters.
