January 5, 2000

Tension runs high between Taliban, opposition in Kunar
PESHAWAR (NNI): Tension runs high between the Taliban and opposition commander in eastern Afghan province of Kunar.

Holding of Loya Jirga
Zahir Shah supporters step up efforts
Frontier Post
By AIMAL KHAN
PESHAWAR - Former Afghan monarch Zahir Shah's loyalists have stepped up their efforts to hold Loya Jirga for a negotiated settlement of two-decade long Afghan problem.

Taliban want India to establish diplomatic ties
NEW YORK (NNI): Afghanistan's ruling Taliban want India to consider renewing diplomatic ties with Kabul, citing the close cooperation extended by the militia to resolve the hijacking of the Indian Airlines plane, a representative of the regime here

Tehran says hijackers of Indian plane are not in Iran
TEHRAN, Jan 4 (AFP) - The hijackers who seized an Indian Airlines plane in Nepal last month and took it to Afghanistan are not in Iran, a top foreign ministry official said Tuesday.

Indian Plane Hijackers Still In Afghanistan - Militants
ISLAMABAD (AP)--A militant Islamic group, battling Indian soldiers in disputed Kashmir, says that the five hijackers of an Indian passenger plane are still in Afghanistan.

Hijack-Swap Militant in Pakistani Kashmir
02:52 a.m. Jan 05, 2000 Eastern
By Zulfikar Ali
MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan (Reuters) - One of three militants freed by India in return for the release of 154 hostages held on a hijacked Indian plane has arrived in Pakistan-held Kashmir, witnesses said.

Pakistan denies hijack accusations
BBC
Pakistan's military ruler, General Pervez Musharraf, has told India to stop blaming his country for the recent hijack of an Indian Airlines flight.

Freed militants in Pakistan
BBC
Two of the three militants freed by India in exchange for hostages aboard a hijacked airliner have now arrived in Pakistan, reports say.

Pakistan to help improve health sector in Afghanistan
Business Recorder
ISLAMABAD (January 5) : Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Maulvi Syed Muhammad Haqqani called on Federal Minister for Health and Population Dr Abdul Malik Kasi here on Tuesday.

Australian hostage tells: I expected to die
From JAMIE WALKER in New Delhi
5jan00
The Australian
AUSTRALIAN hostage Peter Ward wrote an emotional farewell note to his wife after the pilot of a hijacked Indian airliner tried to organise a revolt among passengers who agreed that "20 of us might die but the rest might live".

Hostage sure he was going to die: wife
Wednesday, 5 January, 2000
Canberra Times
By HEATHER GALLAGHER
MELBOURNE: Australian banker Peter Ward was convinced he would be killed during his eight-day hostage ordeal aboard the hijacked Indian Airlines jet, his wife said yesterday.

Taliban did not supply guns to hijackers: India
ISLAMABAD (NNI): The Indian high ranking officials have rejected reports that Taliban assisted the hijackers of the Indian airliner by providing them more arms in the war-ravaged Afghanistan, reports VOA.

Pakistan assures United States hijackers to be brought to justice
Frontier Post
SHEPHERDSTOWN (AFP) - Pakistan has assured the United States that it will act in compliance with international aviation agreements and arrest the hijackers of an Indian Airlines jet should they be found on its soil, a US official said Monday.