Introduction: Jaswant says India ready to hand over Pakistani terrorists on request
Restricting Pakistan's room for manoeuvre even further, India today declared that it would work “double-time” to ensure any Pakistani request for handing over criminals was met by India. Refusing to fall back into defensive mode, India's latest diplomatic offensive strategy is bound to boomerang on Islamabad's delaying tactics. India has said that no de-escalation on the border will be possible until Pakistan takes concrete steps to stop infiltration and hand over the non-Pakistani criminals on India's list.
In a response designed to put Pakistan's nose out of joint and pre vent India from falling into the same evidence trap that Pakistan has got itself into, the foreign minister Jaswant Singh said today that 'whatever list is provided by the Government of Pakistan, of any Pakistani criminal illegally in India, of course there is no question of India providing any legal shelter to criminals. But if any list were to come, I can assure you the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of External Affairs of India, we will work double time to send them back to Pakistan.”
Addressing the press after meeting the Canadian foreign minister, John Manley, Mr Singh was magnanimity itself, as he promised to immediately return Pakistan's criminals back home if a list was provided to India. Criminals, he said, should not be given shelter in any country, and Pakistan should approach the question in this manner.
In a retaliatory move on Saturday, Pakistani foreign minister Abdul Sattar said that Pakistan would be sending a list of it's own criminals that it claimed were hiding in India. This move was intended to put India on the defensive and into the same vicious circle of demanding evidence and denying that Pakistani terrorists lived here at all. Mr Singh's response put paid to that wish, conversely increasing pressure on Pakistan to act responsibly on India's own list.
Later at a conclave, Mr Singh reiterated India's offer. 'Where is the dispute? They can send it (the list) by open fax to my office this evening and I can promise whatever action tomorrow.” Mr Singh said India was willing to give Gen Musharraf time to act on the list. “It is not even ten days that President Musharraf has made his speech...” In a democratic country it could take some time to implement such steps, he said.
But earlier, he said, he did not
see what benefit would accrue to Pakistan by holding on to these 20 criminals,
14 of whom have Interpol Red Corner notices against them. Asked whether
Pakistan was resorting to delaying tactics on handing over of 20 fugitives,
Mr Singh said “we are not playing a cricket match to indulge in slow bowling.”