Pakistan News Service, December 28, 1999
RAW agent on board seized Airbus, says FO__Indian HC phone lines not disconnected : FP
ISLAMABAD - Foreign office spokesman Tariq Altaf Monday claimed that a RAW agent was aboard the hijacked Indian airlines now stranded at the Kandahar airport.
"A reliable source just informed us that "RAW agent was on aboard the aircraft you can make your own conclusions," said the foreign office spokesman at a news briefing here on Monday. The spokesman refused to give any detail about the disclosure, saying "the identity of the RAW agent would be made public in due course of time." There is a considered opinion among the officials circles here that India has engineered the hijacking drama in order to defame Pakistan's new leadership, especially in the context of expected visit of President Clinton to South Asia, Tariq Altaf added.
"Now as Pakistan seems to have moved in the direction of signing the CTBT, the New Delhi is set about raising new "phantoms of terrorism" by the so-called Islamic fundamentalists in order to sabotage the possibility that Clinton might come to Pakistan as well," he maintained. Asked to comment on some of the information and statements attributed to the hijackers, the spokesman said "nobody knows who are the hijackers, their demands and identity are so far a mystery and no one can say anything with certainty."
Tariq Altaf said Pakistan had no sympathy with any desperate individual's act. "We condemn terrorism no matter what nationalities of the hijackers are." The spokesman said Indian government Monday had requested for an overfly of an airbus on its way to Kandahar which was immediately given. "So far, according to our information, the Indian plane has not yet left New Delhi."
On Sunday also, he said, the Indian authorities had sought permission for the overfly of an airbus with a capacity of 179 passengers. He said the Indian government had informed that the aircraft would enter into Pak territory at 1215 hours and exit at Zhob on its way to Kandahar. "Surprisingly no Indian aircraft went to Kandahar," he informed. On the other hand, he said, Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee Sunday said that his country had not requested for overflying.
Tariq Altaf said Pakistan was deeply concerned over the increasing tense situation developing in Kandahar. He expressed full sympathy on behalf of government of Pakistan with the sad plight of the hostages of the plane.
"The government of India appears to be least active," he said, adding the Afghan government had publicly invited Indian government to send its delegation to resolve the crisis. The United Nations had sent its delegation to Kandahar but Indian government did not give it negotiating mandate, he regretted.
Responding to a question about the reports that Russia had called for a meeting of the UN Security Council on the issue, Tariq Altaf said," we hope the Security Council will call on India to immediately send a delegation to Kandahar and resolve crisis." The spokesman regretted that India has unleashed a vilification campaign against Pakistan instead of making efforts for the release of hostages. "They are trying to establish some sort of nexus between Pakistan, Afghan government and so-called Islamic fundamentalism." He said the hijacking of the plane seemed to be the part of Indian ploy to malign Pakistan. Meanwhile, a spokesman of Foreign office in a statement on Monday took a strong exception to the Indian Media's report that the telephone lines of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad have been cut by the authorities.
The Spokesman said, " malicious lie on the Indian media is that the telephone lines of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad have been cut by the authorities. This is completely false, indeed ridiculous. The lines are intact," he added. He said the latest twist to the Indian canard of Pakistan's involvement in the Indian Airlines plane's hijacking is the announcement by the Indian media of the names of four so-called Pakistani nationals.
"Curiously the Indian media which has regularly announced the number of the people of various
nationalities on board the aircraft has in the last four days never mentioned the presence of any Pakistani among them."
The Indian media is also alleging that the delay caused by the Pakistani authorities in granting over-flight permission to the Indian aircraft headed to Kandahar resulted in the cancellation of the flight.
This is a false allegation. A verbal Indian request for flight clearance was received on telephone at noon. The flight clearance was immediately granted. Subsequently, the Indians sent a written request as required by the rules including the necessary particulars two hours later to which a written permission was granted immediately", the statement added.
