Monday, August 29 2005 12:33 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Ahead of Indo-Pak Home Secretary- level talks beginning here today (August 29, 2005), India today said it would seek deportation of nearly 30 terrorists and criminals including underworld don Dawood Ibrahim from Pakistan and push for an accord to combat drug trafficking.

"We will seek the deportation of all those who are involved in terrorist activities against India and are wanted in this country for serious crimes and terrorism-related activities and are based in Pakistan", Union Home Secretary V K Duggal told PTI here.

Asked specifically if Dawood, declared a global terrorist by the United States, figures in the list of those whose deportation is being sought by India, he said "we'll ask for all those who are wanted in India so that they can face the due process of law in this country", clearly indicating that the underworld don was part of the list.

Dawood is wanted in India in connection with Mumbai serial blasts of 1993 and other serious crimes.

On whether new names of terrorists and criminals have been added to the list of twenty wanted men given to Pakistan by India during the NDA rule, Duggal said the list to be given during the Home Secretary level talks comprises nearly 30 names. He, however, declined to spell out the names in the list.

On drug trafficking

On drug trafficking, he said efforts will be made to expedite finalisation and signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Pakistan for an institutional mechanism to tackle narcotic trade.

Duggal, who will be leading the Indian team for the parleys with the 11-member Pakistan delegation headed by its Interior Secretary Syed Kamal Shah, said the need for an MoU to deal with drug trafficking was agreed upon by both sides in the last round of Home Secretary-level talks in Islamabad last year.

"The draft of the MoU was given to Islamabad earlier after making certain changes in it and it will be taken up during the talks," he said, adding he expected the MoU to be inked during the talks between chiefs of narcotic control agencies of the two countries scheduled for next month.

While the two key agenda items in the parleys will be terrorism and drug trafficking, Duggal said the issue of prisoners languishing in each other's country would also figure.

Replying to questions on terrorism, the Home Secretary said "the Indian side will raise security concerns and urge upon Pakistan side to widen cooperation in combating the menace of terrorism in deference to the objectives set out by the leaders of both countries in the joint statement issued in New Delhi on April 18, this year" after the talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Pervez Musharraf.

Sarabjit Singh issue

Asked if the issue of Sarabjit Singh, who is facing death sentence in Pakistan for his alleged involvement in the 1990 bomb blasts in Lahore and Multan, will be discussed, Duggal said the issue was being taken up through the diplomatic channels.

"We are thankful to Pakistan for granting Indian High Commission in Islamabad consular access to Sarabjit Singh. We are seeking further details in the case as part of our effort to get clemency for him. We will do what is proper and required," Duggal said when asked if a clemency petition could be filed.

On the issue of cross-border infiltration, the Home Secretary said as compared to last year it has "gone down and is much lower" and "we will continue to tell Pakistan to combat the menace".

Duggal said as part of joint efforts, the Srinagar- Muzaffarabad bus has been operating without any hitch since April this year "after initial hiccups".

To another question, Duggal said the issue of Baglihar project, which has been referred to the World Bank by Pakistan, will not come up during the two-day parleys.

Arriving here yesterday for the parleys, which form part of the ongoing Composite Dialogue process, Shah said the Pakistani delegation would like to discuss the issue of prisoners being held in each other's country.

The Pakistan Interior Secretary said he had come with a "very positive mind" but avoided comment on whether the issue of release of Sarabjit Singh would be discussed.

Voicing similar views and welcoming Shah, Duggal said he was looking forward to meeting his Pakistani counterpart and was confident that the talks would be both positive and fruitful. "Given the current climate (in Indo-Pak ties), India is very hopeful that the talks will be very positive", the Home Secretary added.