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Indian accusations

not new: Tariq Altaf

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday said that Indian authorities are continuing with their campaign of accusations against Islamabad through a certain plan.

"Indian prime minister says that they have an objective and that objective is to have Pakistan declared a terrorist state,"

Foreign Office spokesman Tariq Altaf said in an interview with CNN.

The Indian prime minister, Tariq added, has said that they are going to systematically pursue that objective and hence the Indians are busy with that.

The spokesman said Indian accusations were not new. They have been flying around right from the beginning of hijacking of Indian airlines plane.

Even before the news of the aircraft was heard, white it was on its way to Dubai and from there to Kandahar. They ( Indians) started accusing us. So this is not new," he added.

He said Pakistan had stated right from the beginning that it condemns all acts of terrorism including hijacking.

"We have also said that if we can get hold of the hijackers, we will try them in accordance with the law. This is our firm commitment and we are absolutely intent on it."

The spokesman said; "we have in fact expected that India would give us some evidence."

India, he added, has not contacted Pakistan at all since the ending of the hijak drama. "They (Indians) were in touch with us during the hijacking and we were giving them all assistance as required by them."

But since then they have not contacted us. Pakistan had to publicly call for information if any was available with India as they have been claiming.

"We had said that they should provide us whatever information they have or identity of the hijackers, or transcripts of their negotiations which they were exclusively holding with the hijackers, so that we can persue those. But they had not given us anything at all," he concluded.ÑAPP