Pakistan has sought clarifications on the “exact status” of the list of 50 wanted fugitives that New Delhi had handed over to Islamabad during the Home/Interior Secretary-level talks in March-end. The clarifications have apparently been sought through the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi after the Home Ministry conceded that two of the `fugitives’ in that list were in India.
For the second time in a week, Foreign Office spokesperson Tehmina Janjua refused to be provoked into a sharp retort on an issue that has left India red-faced; thereby maintaining the broad understanding between the two sides not to cross words on ticklish issues in public since the second Thimphu thaw set in this February.
In fact, she made it clear that the Foreign Office has no intention of sending messages to India through the media when asked to react to Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s reported observation that Pakistan had become a fragile state. All she said in response was that Pakistan is a strong state and Pakistan is a very resilient nation; one that is committed to building a bright future.
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On whether the Interior Ministry had rejected the list in view of the discrepancies, Ms. Janjua said: “It is an Indian list; it is up to the Indians to decide who to put on it. Obviously anything that is given to us, we will look at it seriously. In the context of looking at any such issue seriously, we have referred to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs the request seeking clarification about the exact status of the list.’’