New Delhi, February 11
Two days before the scheduled one-to-one Pervez Musharraf-George Bush talks in Washington, India today intensified its pressure against Pakistan by issuing a fresh demarche to Islamabad, asking it to hand over 20 fugitive criminals and terrorists.

Pakistan’s Deputy High Commissioner Jaleel Abbas Jilani was summoned to the Foreign Office by Mr Arun K. Singh, Joint Secretary, and given the demarche verbally, a spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs here said.

Mr Arun Singh told the Pakistani envoy that it was “regrettable” that Islamabad had so far taken no action to apprehend and hand over the wanted individuals, against most of whom Interpol “red corner” notices had been issued.

Today’s demarche is the third one after the December 13 attack on Parliament. India had made out its demands in a demarche on December 31 which was followed up by another one on January 18 when New Delhi provided further evidence on those named in the list of 20 in various crimes in the country.

The Pakistani diplomat’s attention was also drawn to the action of the UAE Government which had apprehended and deported Aftab Ansari.

It was reiterated that in the framework of international law and the current international consensus no support of any kind, including safe haven, should be provided to terrorists. It was regrettable, therefore, that Pakistan had so far taken no action to arrest the terrorists and fugitives.

If Pakistan was sincere in its commitment to fight against terrorism, it must apprehend and hand over these persons, the spokesperson said. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Nirupama Rao when asked whether there was any response from the Pakistani Deputy High Commissioner, said Jilani informed the Indian side that he would convey the third demarche to Islamabad.

She said the UN Security Council Resolution 1373 made it mandatory for all governments to take note of the provisions and initiate action correspondingly.

Asked whether India has lodged any protest with Islamabad over Ansari, an Indian national having a Pakistani passport, she said this was yet another instance which “proves in a conclusive way what India has been saying all along about Pakistan’s complicity”.