Hijackers are in Quetta, Jaswant

ISLAMABAD (NNI): The Indian External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh has claimed that the hijackers of the Indian plane are in or around Quetta.

"I do not think the whereabouts of the hijackers are still mystery, the Taliban authorities have clearly announced that the hijackers had headed for Quetta. The Foreign Minister for Taliban had himself informed me they have given then ten hours to clear out of Afghanistan and they do not want them there. So, I have no doubts in my mind that those ten hours have long ended and they are in or around Quetta", Singh told the BBC in an interview.

Asked that the Pakistan government has said it is committed to upholding international rules and conventions and that border officials have been told to arrest the hijackers if they do try to cross the Afghan-Pakistan frontier, Jaswant said that that would have certainly been far more convincing if the authorities in Pakistan had reacted with equal swiftness and as you described, I do not describe it so, indignation no sooner the Taliban had announced that is what they were going to do with the hijackers.

Asked has he made any approaches to Islamabad to apprehend them, the minister replied "I told the press yesterday who asked me the same question that we shall take all actions at the appropriate time. When asked what exactly does he mean by that, Singh said "I mean exactly what I say". Asked to clarify appropriate action, he said "You would know it would be that which is appropriate".

He said that there are laws governing this entire business of cross-border international terrorism. And no doubt as Pakistan has now publicly stated that they are ready to adhering to law and to upholding it, that is what would follow, if it wanted.

Jaswant Singh got infuriated when the compere described the hijackers as people and abruptly said , "terrorist, they are terrorist, not people, terrorist".

When asked that the demands of the hijackers were met at a time when the Indian government had stated it would never given in to terrorism, Jaswant Singh said the Indian government had also said and I had answered it early that our priorities were the earliest termination of the hijacking and the safe return of passengers and crew along with upholding the principles that you are citing against terrorism and security.

Asked would the release of three persons from prison not send a signal to others similarly like-minded that such action could result in benefits for them in the future, he said "No, I am, of-course, concerned, every such action has a reaction as it does send messages out. If you examine the nationality of these three, examine the whole episode, the manner in which it was conducted, the place where it concluded, the nationality of those whose release were sought and that the hijackers should seek shelter in Pakistan, then question is really best addressed by curtailing and curbing cross-border terrorism.