NEW DELHI, 22 January — Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh yesterday said that his nation will adopt a wait-and-watch attitude on Pakistan’s announced crackdown on extremists, while extending the hand of cooperation in extraditing any Pakistani criminals sheltering in India. When asked if Pakistan’s pledges had been translated into action, Singh told reporters here: "Has it (Musharraf’s announced crackdown) translated itself onto the ground? No, it hasn’t. We’ll wait and watch." Asked what India would do if action was not forthcoming, Singh said: "We will try to pursue it, then. It has not been even 10 days since a major change of policy was announced. It’s not for me to judge how long it will take him (Musharraf) to change Pakistan."
"You must remember that he continues to be a military dictator," Singh said, adding that in democratic India, a change in state policy comparable in scope would take "at least two to three governments to implement."
He added that New Delhi would welcome and act on any list that Islamabad may provide of Pakistani criminals sheltering in India, while emphasizing that it will not ease its pressure on Islamabad until it sees concrete proof that Pakistan has curbed the alleged infiltration of extremists in Kashmir."This is what we are proposing to our western neighbor: Let us not try to change the LoC through violent means," he said.
Pakistan, which has said it could consider extraditing Indian nationals on the list, is also preparing its own list of terrorist suspects it wants India to hand over. "Were any list to be provided by Pakistan of any Pakistani criminals hiding in India, sheltering in India, illegally in India ... I can assure you that in the Home Ministry and the External Affairs Ministry, we will work double time to send them back," he said.
