The Hindu : U.S. must compel Pak. to hand over Dawood: Advani

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 07, 2003

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U.S. must compel Pak. to hand over Dawood: Advani

Kolhapur Nov. 6. The Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, today said the United States should "compel" Pakistan to hand over underworld don and "global terrorist" Dawood Ibrahim to India to demonstrate its seriousness of working to eliminate terrorism.

"Mere announcement [about declaring Dawood as a global terrorist] is not enough. The U.S. must compel Pakistan to hand over Dawood to India for trial," he said addressing a public meeting at the Gandhi Maidan here.

Noting that the U.S. had been giving financial and other assistance to Pakistan, he said Washington "can compel" Islamabad and demonstrate its seriousness about fighting terrorism.

Referring to the U.S.' declarations that it was trying to track down the Al- Qaeda chief, Osama bin Laden, Mr. Advani said steps should be taken to bring to book at least those whose location was known as the U.S. had said that it was aware of Dawood's presence in Pakistan.

Dawood, prime accused in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts, tops the list of terrorists whose handing over has been sought from Pakistan by India.

Fulfilling a long-pending demand of the people of this southern-most district of Maharashtra, the Deputy Prime Minister today renamed the Kolhapur railway station as Shri Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj terminus and said a direct train service from here to New Delhi would be started next year.

The Railway Minister, Nitish Kumar, in his address said the station would be developed as a model one.

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