[world-vedic] Statement by Ministry of External Affairs on Hijacking

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>[indianembassy] Statement by Ministry of External Affairs on

>Hijacking

>Sun, 16 Jan 2000 10:30:26 -0800

>

>

>Statement by the Ministry of External Affairs on

>the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814

>

>New Delhi

>January 15, 2000

>

>In connection with the recent hijacking of

>Indian Airlines flightIC-814, India today

>drew the attention of Pakistan to the latter's legal

>obligations under the Montreal Convention for the

>Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of

>Civil Aviation of 1971, the Hague Convention for the

>Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft of 1970 and

>the SAARC Regional Convention on Suppression of Terrorism,

>to all of which Pakistan is a party.

>

>The Pakistan High Commissioner, Mr. Ashraf Jehangir

>Qazi, was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs

>today by the Foreign Secretary and informed that the

>Government of India had jurisdiction over the offences

>committed by the hijackers and their accomplices. He was

>reminded that Pakistan also had legal obligations, under

>the Simla Agreement of 1972, to prevent the organization,

>assistance or encouragement of any acts detrimental to the

>maintenance of peaceful and harmonious relations and also

>to prevent hostile propaganda. He was told that support

>to acts of terrorism, including the hijacking of the Indian

>Airlines aircraft and subsequent anti-India public statements

>by the released terrorist, Masood Azhar, who was in Pakistan,

>were in contravention of Pakistan's obligations under the

>Simla Agreement.

>

>The Pakistan High Commissioner was also told that the terrorists,

>whose release was secured by the hijackers by threatening the lives of

>the hostages and killing one of them, had since made their appearance in

>Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Given that a large number of

>terrorists whose release was sought by the hijackers are Pakistani

>nationals and that the first destination chosen by the hijackers was

>Lahore, there was strong ground to believe that the hijackers were

>currently in Pakistan. Accordingly, Pakistan, as a State party to the

>above Conventions, had the clear legal obligation to take them into

>custody and extradite them to India.

>

>It was also made clear to the Pakistan High Commissioner that the

>Government of India expected Pakistan to take the necessary measures to

>apprehend the hijackers and their accomplices present in Pakistan, to

>extradite them to India for prosecution in fulfilment of its obligations

>under the international conventions mentioned above, to co-operate in

>connection with criminal proceedings against the offenders and to report

>to the International Civil Aviation Organisation all relevant

>information in its possession regarding the hijacking and the action

>taken against the offenders.

>

>He was also informed that the Government of India reserved the right

>to take further measures as appropriate.

>

>The UNGA has adopted by consensus the Declaration on Measures to

>Eliminate International Terrorism, in which it has categorically

>affirmed that acts of terrorism for political purposes are in any

>circumstance unjustifiable, whatever the considerations of a political,

>philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or any other

>nature that may be invoked to justify them. The Declaration has also

>asked States to refrain from organising, instigating, facilitating,

>financing, encouraging or tolerating terrorist activities and take

>appropriate practical measures to ensure that their respective

>territories are not used for terrorist installations or training camps

>or for the preparation or organisation of terrorist acts intended to be

>committed against other States or their citizens.

>

>7. Growing international consensus against terrorism is also reflected

>in the resolution 1269 adopted by the UN Security Council on 18th

>October, 1999, which unequivocally condemned and called upon States to

>prevent and suppress terrorist acts.

>

>

>

>

>------

>Embassy of India

>Press & Information

>Washington, DC

>http://www.indianembassy.org

>

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