ID :
33768
Wed, 12/03/2008 - 20:05
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/33768
The shortlink copeid
Zardari rejects India's demand to hand over LeT chief, others
New York, Dec 3 (PTI) President Asif Ali Zardari has
rejected India's demand to hand over LeT chief Hafiz Mohd
Sayeed and other fugitives in the wake of Mumbai terror
attacks and doubted whether the arrested terrorist is a
Pakistani national.
Two days after New Delhi's demarche (protest note)
demanding the handing over of 20 fugitives, Zardari made known
Pakistan's reluctance to part with them.
"If we had proof, we would try them in our courts. We
would try them in our land and we would sentence them," he
said appearing on "Larry King Live" programme on CNN last
night.
India's list of 20 most wanted criminals given to
Pakistan included underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and
Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar.
India is awaiting Pakistan's response before deciding
on the options it could exercise. New Delhi's outrage was
voiced by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee who said
the country has every right to protect its territorial
integrity and will take "appropriate action" as it feels
necessary to deal with the terror strikes emanating from
Pakistan.
The minister also did not rule out military strikes
against terror camps in Pakistan.
Zardari said that he also doubted India's claim that
the sole surviving gunman, who was captured by Indian security
forces, was a Pakistani national.
"We have not been given any tangible proof to say that
he is definitely a Pakistani. I very much doubt that he's a
Pakistani," he said.
Zardari denied Pakistan's involvement in the attacks,
saying the terror strikes were executed by the "Stateless
actors" who wanted to hold the "entire world hostage."
"These (terrorists) are stateless actors who have been
operating throughout the region. They include gunmen and the
planners and are holding the entire world hostage," he said.
"State of Pakistan is not responsible for the attacks
in Mumbai... even the White House and the US intelligence
agency CIA have said so," he said.
The President ruled out any possibility of Pakistan
and India going to war, saying "democracies do not go to war".
The three wars, India and Pakistan have fought, took place
during dictatorships in Pakistan, he said.
Zardari said this is time to come together, do a joint
investigation and look at the problem in the larger context.
"The threat is in the region and just not to Bombay or
to India. The threat (also is) to the State of Pakistan.
There's a threat to Afghanistan, It's a threat throughout
region. So that would be counterproductive," he added.
"I'm a victim. The state of Pakistan is a victim. We
are the victims of this war, and I am sorry for the Indians,
and I feel sorry for them. I've seen this pain. I feel this
pain every time I see my children. I can see it in their eyes.
This pain lives with me because of my wife and what we are
going through in Pakistan," he said.
Asked whether Lashkar-e-Taiba was involved in the
attacks, he replied that it is a banned organisation around
the world. "If indeed they are involved, we would not know."
These are the people who operate outside the system
like al-Qaeda but Pakistan has offered full cooperation to
India in investigating the incident and "We intend to do so."
"We cannot rule anything out at the moment," he said
when asked whether al-Qaeda might be involved. But it is too
premature to reach any conclusion.
To a question as to what Islamabad would do if India
produces evidence of complicity of any Pakistani group in the
attacks, Zardari said he would take action against them.
The Pakistani government, he said, committed to
fighting terrorism per se and is fighting it every day.
Asked whether Pakistan is actively working at finding
out who attacked Mumbai, Zardari said we are looking into the
allegations "thrown at us from across the border."
Defending Pakistan's intelligence agencies which are
accused of providing support to the militants, Zardari said in
the past, lots of mistakes have been made, but the present
government does not support any such action.
"I can assure the world from my side, from my Army's
side, from my parliament's side and the people of Pakistan
that we are not helping any such activity," he added.
Asked whether Pakistan would ever think of making a
pre-emptive strikes with nuclear weapons, Zardari replied that
he is on record having said that it has no intention of ever
being "perpetrator" of first use.
He replied in the affirmative to question whether he
is in favour of ban on all nuclear weapons, saying he had
invited Indians to join in.
"I have asked the Indians to join us in a nuclear-free
South Asia. And we are willing - I am willing to assure the
world, on behalf of my parliament, that if India comes with
us, we can together jointly sign a nuclear-free South Asia,"
he added.
Asked whether it would happen, Zardari replied, "We
can definitely stand on the possibility of that to happen."
Pakistan hopes to improve relations with India and
other democracies in the world, the President added. PTI DS
SAK
NNNN
rejected India's demand to hand over LeT chief Hafiz Mohd
Sayeed and other fugitives in the wake of Mumbai terror
attacks and doubted whether the arrested terrorist is a
Pakistani national.
Two days after New Delhi's demarche (protest note)
demanding the handing over of 20 fugitives, Zardari made known
Pakistan's reluctance to part with them.
"If we had proof, we would try them in our courts. We
would try them in our land and we would sentence them," he
said appearing on "Larry King Live" programme on CNN last
night.
India's list of 20 most wanted criminals given to
Pakistan included underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and
Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar.
India is awaiting Pakistan's response before deciding
on the options it could exercise. New Delhi's outrage was
voiced by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee who said
the country has every right to protect its territorial
integrity and will take "appropriate action" as it feels
necessary to deal with the terror strikes emanating from
Pakistan.
The minister also did not rule out military strikes
against terror camps in Pakistan.
Zardari said that he also doubted India's claim that
the sole surviving gunman, who was captured by Indian security
forces, was a Pakistani national.
"We have not been given any tangible proof to say that
he is definitely a Pakistani. I very much doubt that he's a
Pakistani," he said.
Zardari denied Pakistan's involvement in the attacks,
saying the terror strikes were executed by the "Stateless
actors" who wanted to hold the "entire world hostage."
"These (terrorists) are stateless actors who have been
operating throughout the region. They include gunmen and the
planners and are holding the entire world hostage," he said.
"State of Pakistan is not responsible for the attacks
in Mumbai... even the White House and the US intelligence
agency CIA have said so," he said.
The President ruled out any possibility of Pakistan
and India going to war, saying "democracies do not go to war".
The three wars, India and Pakistan have fought, took place
during dictatorships in Pakistan, he said.
Zardari said this is time to come together, do a joint
investigation and look at the problem in the larger context.
"The threat is in the region and just not to Bombay or
to India. The threat (also is) to the State of Pakistan.
There's a threat to Afghanistan, It's a threat throughout
region. So that would be counterproductive," he added.
"I'm a victim. The state of Pakistan is a victim. We
are the victims of this war, and I am sorry for the Indians,
and I feel sorry for them. I've seen this pain. I feel this
pain every time I see my children. I can see it in their eyes.
This pain lives with me because of my wife and what we are
going through in Pakistan," he said.
Asked whether Lashkar-e-Taiba was involved in the
attacks, he replied that it is a banned organisation around
the world. "If indeed they are involved, we would not know."
These are the people who operate outside the system
like al-Qaeda but Pakistan has offered full cooperation to
India in investigating the incident and "We intend to do so."
"We cannot rule anything out at the moment," he said
when asked whether al-Qaeda might be involved. But it is too
premature to reach any conclusion.
To a question as to what Islamabad would do if India
produces evidence of complicity of any Pakistani group in the
attacks, Zardari said he would take action against them.
The Pakistani government, he said, committed to
fighting terrorism per se and is fighting it every day.
Asked whether Pakistan is actively working at finding
out who attacked Mumbai, Zardari said we are looking into the
allegations "thrown at us from across the border."
Defending Pakistan's intelligence agencies which are
accused of providing support to the militants, Zardari said in
the past, lots of mistakes have been made, but the present
government does not support any such action.
"I can assure the world from my side, from my Army's
side, from my parliament's side and the people of Pakistan
that we are not helping any such activity," he added.
Asked whether Pakistan would ever think of making a
pre-emptive strikes with nuclear weapons, Zardari replied that
he is on record having said that it has no intention of ever
being "perpetrator" of first use.
He replied in the affirmative to question whether he
is in favour of ban on all nuclear weapons, saying he had
invited Indians to join in.
"I have asked the Indians to join us in a nuclear-free
South Asia. And we are willing - I am willing to assure the
world, on behalf of my parliament, that if India comes with
us, we can together jointly sign a nuclear-free South Asia,"
he added.
Asked whether it would happen, Zardari replied, "We
can definitely stand on the possibility of that to happen."
Pakistan hopes to improve relations with India and
other democracies in the world, the President added. PTI DS
SAK
NNNN
