2 January 2001

MUSHARRAF SAYS NOBODY WILL BE HANDED OVER TO INDIA

From Our Newsdesk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has affirmed that the question of handing over anybody to India did not arise and India will regret if it decides to commit aggression.

"If there is any allegation against any of the individual, the evidence should be provided to us. The government of Pakistan will examine the evidence and act against those elements under the law of the land," Gen. Musharraf told the joint meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) and Federal Cabinet here Wednesday.

Just a day before leaving for the SAARC summit in Kathmandu, Musharraf on Wednesday chaired at least three highly strategic meetings to take stock of the latest situation: Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee meeting, joint NSC-Cabinet meeting, and inter-provincial meeting on law and order.

Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Muhammad Aziz, Foreign Secretary Inamul Haq and Cabinet Secretary gave extensive briefings on the existing situation on borders with state of Pakistan army's preparedness, the intense phase of international diplomacy to avert war and the preparations made for civil defence with checking of food stock, communications and other matters.

Briefing newsmen, Secretary Information Syed Anwar Mehmood quoted Musharraf state that "the question of handing over anybody to India does not arise, as some people are trying to create a perception that what measures are being taken in Pakistan against terrorism are stemmed from the fact of being under pressure."

He also claimed that some four RAW (Indian external intelligence agency) agents were nabbed and produced before a Sindh court for their involvement in terrorist attack on a railcar on December 25. "The investigations have now been completed, and it has been proved that RAW was behind all this, as four of its agents have now been taken into custody," said the secretary. END