Pakistan, Taliban discuss extradition of criminals
The News Int.

Moin says Afghan govt agreed to proposal of documenting refugees' cross-border movement; Islamabad suggests six entry points each in NWFP, Balochistan; joint commission set up to decide on details of plan

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider on Wednesday discussed with the Taliban officials the extradition of the Pakistanis wanted for their involvement in sectarian killings, reports reaching from Kabul said.

Haider held talks with his Afghan counterpart Mulla Abdur Razzaq and took up the issue of the wanted Pakistani terrorists. He also called on the chairman of the Taliban council of ministers, Mulla Muhammad Rabbani, and its Deputy Chief Mulla Abdul Kabir.
 

Moin said in Kabul the Taliban had assured him that they would not give shelter to any Pakistani who posed threat to Pakistan's peace. Pakistan last year asked the Taliban to stop giving military training to its nationals. The Taliban deny giving such training but have agreed to consider any extradition requests made by Islamabad.

The Taliban government in principle agreed to Islamabad's proposal of documenting the cross-border movement of the Afghan refugees so as to restore the sanctity of the Durand Line, Interior Moinuddin Haider told a press conference in Kabul.

Moin said: "We want to make this movement more orderly. We have suggested to them that the sanctity of the Durand Line should be restored as is the international law between any two sovereign countries. We have suggested six points in the NWFP and six in Balochistan province from where crossings can take place."

The interior minister said those points had been suggested after a lot of study. He said although the Afghan government had not yet finalised it, they had accepted the idea in principle. He said a joint commission had been set up which would decide on the details of the particular plan.

Moin said the commission would include from Pakistan the interior secretary as its head, senior officers of the ministries of foreign affairs, commerce, inspector general of the Frontier Corps and home secretaries of NWFP and Balochistan.

About the Afghan refugees, the interior minister said: "We have requested the Afghan side that as far as possible, they must keep and establish camps within the territory of Afghanistan. I hope the world would come to the help of the needy in these camps and we will do whatever is possible from our side. I very strongly feel that camps within Afghanistan for short span of time will be better administered. There will be less social problems and there is 90 to 95 per cent of area which has good law and order situation and the aid agencies can easily reach, give them all sort of help, food and then, of course, they can get back to their localities as soon as the snow melts and the drought is over."

Moin said that establishment of camps in other countries created complications and it was very difficult for refugees to return subsequently. He said the Afghan side had agreed to the proposal. Afghanistan had been kind enough to extend cooperation to prevent smuggling to Pakistan, he added.

The interior minister said: "We will take steps whatever are possible from our side and they have also made a commitment to cooperate in this connection." Referring to his current visit to Afghanistan, the interior minister said the first reason to visit Kabul was that it was a brotherly country and important neighbour of Pakistan. He said: "For centuries we have very good relations and we became very close during the period of Jihad. Moreover, my visit is in return of visit by the Afghan interior minister to Islamabad in May last."

The interior minister said this was one of the series of meetings that should go on between the two countries to discuss whatever problems might arise. He said: "We very frankly and candidly discussed in a very good atmosphere all the questions and problems concerning both the countries and to some extent the world also. Ours is high delegation after quite some time to come from Pakistan. We are mindful of the difficult circumstances under which the Taliban government is passing through."