M A I N   N E W S

PM defends release of 3 militants

NEW DELHI, Dec 31 (PTI) — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee tonight defended the release of three militants in exchange for 155 hostages of the hijacked Indian Airlines aircraft saying that the government was able to “substantially scale down their demand”.

“The hijackers had demanded the release of 36 terrorists. We were able to substantially scale down their demand”, he said in his New Year message broadcast over Doordarshan asserting that India’s first resolution for the new century would be to join hands across nations to rid the world of terrorism.

The hostages would soon be back with their families to usher in the New Year, he said.

“In dealing with the hijackers, the government was guided by two concerns: the safety of the passengers and the crew, and the long-term, overall interests of our country,” Mr Vajpayee said.

Let us make the new century as “Indian century”, he said.

Mr Vajpayee said along with terrorism, the twin were of poverty and illiteracy has to be wiped out. “We have to ensure that every Indian has a shelter and the poorest of the poor access to a life of dignity”.

“We have to break down barriers of caste, language and religion. “We have to remove all forms of discrimination, especially discrimination against women,” he said.

Stating that the key to a new society was fast economic development and rapid social change, he said our second resolution for the new century was to turn India into a developed country, a country that reaches out and cares for the weakest.

The Prime Minister said the third resolution of Indians should be to make excellence as their watchword.

“We have to excel - as individuals and as a nation”, he said adding that the closing decades of the 20th century have fetched a bounty of opportunities. New vistas have been opened up by discoveries that could not have been imagined even 20 years ago.”

Stating that the country had the best talent in various fields including science and technology, agriculture and industry, he said, “With such talent and resources, we can excel as a nation.”

He said, “We must seize the opportunities of the coming era to emerge as a mighty nation whose strength shall lie in her achievements”.

Pak welcomes end of hijack

ISLAMABAD, Dec 31 (Reuters, AFP) — Pakistan today welcomed the end of an eight-day Indian plane hijacking and said it was relieved that the ordeal for more than 150 hostages was over.

“The end of the hijacking episode of the Indian Airlines plane is a matter of satisfaction to the government of Pakistan,’’ a Foreign Ministry statement said shortly about 155 hostages on an Indian Airlines IC-814 were freed by five hijackers in exchange for three militants released by India in a deal between the two sides.

“We have received this news with a sense of relief that the ordeal of the innocent hostages has finally come to an end,’’ it said.

The statement praised Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban movement for demonstrating “great responsibility and maturity’’ in handling the crisis since the hijacked plane landed at Kandahar a week ago after stops in India, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.

“Their approach throughout this period of stress has been imbued with a sense of humanitarian concern and care and opposition to terrorism which has earned them the appreciation of the entire international community,’’ it said.

WASHINGTON: The white house tentatively welcomed the release of hostages from the hijacked Indian Airlines jet on Friday, noting that no more passengers had been killed.

“It’s welcome that there was no further loss of life,” said spokesman Jim Fallin as passengers began leaving the aircraft in Kandahar, after an eight-day ordeal.

“We’ve said from the outset we wanted a peaceful resolution,” Mr Fallin said as US officials were receiving initial reports about the apparent end of the crisis in which one of the passengers was killed last week.

KATHMANDU, (UNI): Nepal on Friday night welcomed the “happy and peaceful end” to the eight-day-long hijacking drama.

Foreign Minister Ram Sharan Mahat, in a reaction given here immediately after the release of the hostage plane-passengers was announced, commended India’s painstaking negotiations with the hijackers which ensured “the safety of life of the hostages and held humanitarian considerations as uppermost.”

Dr Mahat also praised the efforts — both overt and covert — of all agencies which resulted in “the peaceful end to the sorry hijack drama.”

The Nepali Foreign Minister further expressed the desire that he may be permitted to participate in “the wave of happiness” that must have swept among the relatives of the hostage-passengers.

Among the more than 150 passengers held aboard the hijacked IA plane were eight Nepali nationals.

Hijacker killed

Hijackers who commandeered an Indian Airlines plane killed one of their colleagues during the week-long drama, diplomats quoted freed passengers as saying today. They did not know exactly when the hijacker was killed or why but said his body was found in the cockpit of the aircraft.