Islamabad: Pakistan will take action against any terrorist group operating against India from its soil and consider a request for extraditing underworld don Dawood Ibrahim if New Delhi provides ‘authentic proof’ in this regard, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said.
Gilani said his government could also consider India's request for access to terrorist leaders like Masood Azhar, who was released in return for safety of passengers of Indian Airlines plane hijacked to Kandahar in 1999, if it is backed by evidence.
Rejecting India's concerns over terrorism in Kashmir being financed and executed by Pakistan-based groups like Lashkar-e-Toiba with the backing of the Inter-Services Intelligence, he said, "We are already working with the whole world for extremism and terrorism and our point of view is extremely clear that we are against terrorism and extremism".
"We have lost our own leader (former premier) Benazir Bhutto because of (terrorism). How can I deny that? At the same time, we are fighting against terrorism", Gilani told in an interview with Karan Thapar on CNN-IBN's Devil's Advocate.
When pointed out that several outlawed terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Al-Badr re-emerged in Pakistan in recent months after changing their names, Gilani said his government would act against such groups because "we are against terrorism and we are against them. We will not be supporting any terrorist."
Asked about slain Pakistan People's Party chairperson Benazir Bhutto's stand that her party would consider India's request for access to terrorist leaders like Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar and Lashker founder Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, Gilani said "If there are authentic proofs and if they (India) want to share with us, of course we can think on those lines."
Replying to a specific question about India's demand for extradition of Dawood Ibrahim who New Delhi says is based in Pakistan, Gilani initially refused to comment saying he had "not studied" the matter or been briefed on it.
On being pressed and asked if his government would extradite Ibrahim if the Indian government made a good case, Gilani said, "Yes, I have an open mind Again, the onus is on (the Indian) side."
Asked about India's belief that terrorism by groups like LeT is the biggest irritant in bilateral ties, he indicated the matter was linked to the "core issue of Kashmir".
Describing Indian concerns about the presence of terrorist training camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as unfounded, Gilani said, "I visited Kashmir and at the same time, the whole world is there for the reconstruction of Kashmir (after the 2005 earthquake). There are no such camps."
Replying to a question about the perception that Pakistan government could compensate for unpopular military action against the Taliban in its tribal areas bordering Afghanistan by reducing pressure on militants operating in Kashmir, Gilani said: "actually, we are very clear. We are fighting the war on terrorism not for America.
"That is, we are fighting the war for our own country because as I have mentioned, we lost our own leader because of terrorism. And I am very firm on terrorism and we will not negotiate with militants unless they give up arms."
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