New Delhi hands over list of concerns to Islamabad

Islamabad, Jan 7: New Delhi has given Pakistan a paper enumerating its “concerns” and outlining the steps to be taken by Islamabad to de-escalate the current tension between the two countries. The paper was handed over to Pakistan foreign minister Abul Sattar by India’s national security advisor Brajesh Mishra during the course of the Saarc summit in Kathmandu on Sunday, ‘The Nation’ reported here on Monday.

The daily attributed the report from Kathmandu to unnamed Pakistani officials without elaborating. Mr Mishra was seen on Sunday discussing a paper with Mr Sattar at the conclusion of the summit and the nature of its contents was a matter of speculation. The daily also said Pakistan was seriously considering proposals to hand over a few Indians who figured in the list of 20 criminals and terrorists, given earlier by New Delhi.

Pakistan has, however, informed New Delhi that it would not hand over any of its citizens figuring in the list, the daily said. The immediate names under consideration for extradition are the four Sikhs involved in the separatist Khalistan movement and hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane to Lahore in 1981.

These Sikhs are: Wadhawa Singh, founder-member of the Babbar Khalsa, who allegedly planned the late Punjab chief minister Beant Singh’s assassination and was allegedly responsible for several acts of terror in India; Paramjit Singh Panjwar, leader of the Khalistan Commando Force, accused in the killing of former Army chief Gen Vaidya and in a bank robbery in Ludhiana; Gajinder Singh Khalsa, the Dal Khalsa leader who was responsible for hijacking of an IA aircraft to Lahore in 1981 to secure the release of separatist leader Bhindranwale.

— PTI