Indians begin hijack negotiations

BBC News
Indian negotiators have begun negotiations with hijackers of the Indian Airlines plane at Kandahar airport.

Negotiations are being conducted by radio.

The hijackers had earlier threatened to start killing passengers if the Indian authorities did not take steps to meet their demands.

The delegation, led by Indian Foreign Ministry official Vivek Katju, arrived on Monday evening and first held talks with Taleban officials.

The talks were joined by UN officials and European diplomats who have come to look after their nationals who are on board the hijacked plane.

Reports say two hostages have had their hands and feet bound in preparation for execution.

Indian Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan said the government had set no time frame to end the hijacking.

Speaking in Delhi, he said: "I am very optimistic we will get them (the hostages) back... but there is no timetable."

But Taleban Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmed Mutawakel said his government was losing patience and if Indian negotiators fail to get an agreement "we will use force to make the plane leave."

The hijackers are holding around 160 passengers and crew on the plane in the southern city of Kandahar.

The hijackers, who seized flight IC-814 four days ago, are demanding the Indian Government release several Kashmiri separatists and a Muslim cleric jailed in India. They have already stabbed one passenger to death.

Several truckloads of militiamen from Afghanistan's ruling Taleban have surrounded the aircraft which has been on the tarmac for two days.

The Taleban have warned they will storm the plane if the hijackers start killing passengers.

"This warning was given to the hijackers after they told the control tower they had tied the hands and feet of two hostages and that they would kill them and throw their bodies out of the plane," said Wakil Ahmad Mutawakel.

"We warned the hijackers that if they take any action or kill anyone on our territory we are going to mete out similar treatment to them," a Taleban spokesman said.

 

The hijackers are insisting India release Pakistani cleric Maulana Masood Azhar, who has been jailed for supporting Kashmiri separatism, and a number of Kashmiri separatist fighters.

Up until now, India had refused to negotiate with the hijackers.

Ultimatum

Two doctors, a nurse and medical supplies also arrived on the plane with the Indian delegation.

United Nations official Erik de Mul said, that according to the captain of the hijacked aircraft, the passengers were in a ''bad'' mental and physical condition.

Officials who delivered food to the plane said some appeared to be falling ill.

Most of the passengers are Indian, but there are also Nepalese, Spanish, Japanese, Canadian and other nationalities.

The Taleban earlier warned the hijackers to surrender or leave the country.

Afghan engineers worked through Sunday night carrying out repairs to the A300 Airbus after it reportedly developed technical problems.

The hijackers agreed to allow one engineer from the ground staff into the cockpit. In exchange, one of the hijackers has come outside the plane.

Desperate relatives

In Delhi, relatives of the captives have clashed with riot police as they accused the government of bungling. Some say they cannot understand why Maulana Masood Azhar cannot be released in return for the lives of their loved ones.

India previously refused a similar demand to free the scholar after six Western tourists were kidnapped while trekking in Kashmir. One of them was killed, one escaped and the other four are presumed to be dead.

Twenty-eight people have been released since the hijackers took control of the plane. One was freed on Sunday in Afghanistan, the others, all Indians, were released in exchange for fuel in Dubai.

The body of 25-year-old businessman Rupin Katyal - the only known fatality - was also taken off the Airbus in Dubai.

He was on his honeymoon. His bride, Rachna, is still on the plane.

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