Hijackers drop two demands
Tribune News Service and PTI

NEW DELHI, Dec 29 — Negotiations between hijackers and Indian officials which commenced this morning ended at midnight tonight inconclusive and was expected to resume early tomorrow.

Several rounds of negotiations were held between the two sides as a result of which the hijackers dropped their demands for ransom of $ 200 million and exhuming the body of Sajjad Afghani, who was killed this June during an abortive jailbreak attempt, a Kandahar Air Traffic Control (ATC) official said late tonight.

The negotiations, which are on since December 27, would continue tomorrow, he added.

While the External Affairs Ministry refused to either deny or confirm the dropping of the two demands of the hijackers, informed sources said it was very much within the realm of possibility that the hijackers, who have been holding 150 passengers as hostage for the past six days, may further revise their demands.

While the Indian negotiating team went ahead with the fourth round of talks with the hijackers, the Union Cabinet met here today evening to formulate the government’s stand and strategy on the demands of the hijackers.

The breakthrough for the Indian negotiating team became possible with the intervention of the Taliban leadership which has been acknowledged by the External Affairs Minister, Mr Jaswant Singh and other Cabinet ministers.

An indication to this effect came today when Mr Jaswant Singh, admitted that the government had contacted various foreign countries “which have diplomatic relations with the Taliban” leadership.

While Mr Jaswant Singh did not name these foreign countries, it is a known fact that Afghanistan’s diplomatic ties are limited to only three countries namely Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Sources said the Ministry of External Affairs contacted the Saudi Arabian and UAE Governments and sought their intervention in influencing the Taliban leadership to bring an end to the six-day-long hostage crisis.

Meanwhile, the Taliban today held a meeting of ‘Shura’ which is the supreme policy making body of the Taliban. The sources said the ‘Shura’ discussed the hijacking in detail.

While details of the ‘Shura’ meeting were not available, it is understood that the Taliban have decided to do their best to get the crisis resolved at the earliest.

Keen to get international recognition and improve its image, the Taliban leadership is expected to exert pressure on the hijackers to further climb down from their demands.

The government maintained silence over its response to their demands for the release of 36 hardcore militants.

“You will appreciate this is a sensitive issue...and it is scarcely possible for me to conduct negotiations through the media”, the External Affairs Minister told reporters at a press conference.

Mr Jaswant Singh said the demands of the hijackers were made available to the government formally and for the first time in writing yesterday. “Till then, the government had no basis with which to engage them.”

Since then, government has been in constant touch with the negotiating team which has held “three rounds of extensive talks with the Taliban as also the hijackers," he said.

"The condition of the hostages is comfortable notwithstanding the adverse circumstances as also their long and enforced incarceration," he said.

Mr Jaswant Singh said medical care and medicines had been made available to the passengers and maximum attention was being given to hygiene and sanitation inside the aircraft. Food and water were being regularly supplied and also given on demand, he said.

The government, he reiterated, was committed to an end to the hijack crisis and the safe return of the passengers and crew at the earliest.

To persistent questions on whether the government was contemplating military action or acceding to the demands of the hijackers, he retorted: "I would like you to understand the high sensitivity of the issue, delicacy of it and deep humanitarian import of everything that we do or say here."

He said the Taliban had been "extremely cooperative" and their role had been "constructive". The Foreign Minister of the Taliban as also the corps commander were engaged in facilitating talks and negotiations with the hijackers, he said.

Asked whether India was now ready to accord recognition to the Taliban regime, he said: "We will address all these issues when they come before us".

To a pointed query whether there was any room for a compromise to resolve the crisis, he said: "It will not be in the interest of the hostages for me to a discuss this with the media."

On US President Bill Clinton’s reported remark that the Kashmir issue was "perhaps the most dangerous" one in the world right now, he said he had asked Washington to clarify if this was said and if so in what context.

The minister said there had been widespread international support and solidarity for the manner in which India was handling the crisis. The UN had cooperated with India and "we are satisfied with it".

To a question, he denied reports that the pilot of the hijacked aircraft had sought permission to land at Lucknow. The Director General of Civil Aviation was fully investigating the matter, he said.

Hostages eat, play and wait

KANDAHAR, Dec 29 (Reuters) — Five nights, five countries and one brutal murder later, hostages on a hijacked Indian Airlines plane appear to be holding up reasonably well, say Afghan aviation officials who caught a glimpse inside the plane.

The brief view was made possible when the five or six heavily armed hijackers allowed the rear door of the plane to be opened yesterday for ventilation.

“We went on board to repair a few things and the hijackers did not seem to notice us for about five minutes,’’ said one aviation official who declined to be identified.

He said conditions were not as bad as had been feared. The passengers appeared in a reasonable condition after their ordeal and were finding ways to kill time.

Chess, cards, music from the in-flight entertainment system and personal stereos, food and sleep were the main ways the hostages while away the hours, one Afghan official said.

By his account, corroborated by Indian and Taliban officials, the more than 150 hostages had been allowed to sit where they want on the aircraft instead of being confined to alternative rows in the rear of the plane.

Passengers have been allowed to take off the blindfolds they were forced to wear shortly after the plane was diverted at gunpoint on a short flight from Nepal to New Delhi on Friday.

“No, they are not wearing blindfolds anymore and can move freely around the plane and mingle and talk,’’ said an Indian diplomat who flew to Kandahar from New Delhi on Monday.

Rupin Katyal, was stabbed to death by the hijackers for trying to peek at the hijackers from behind his blindfold at the weekend. His bride remains on the aircraft and the hijackers have refused to let her off.

The killing occurred before the plane was diverted to Dubai after touching down in India and Pakistan on its way to the spiritual capital of the ruling Taliban movement in Kandahar.

“Before they looked exhausted, but there was almost a smile on their faces after the rear door was opened and they were allowed to sit anywhere on the plane, instead of in alternative rows in the rear seats,’’ the official said.

“They are now sitting anywhere, including the front, and have been allowed to change their clothes. It’s slightly better.’’

The official said the hijackers carried automatic pistols and grenades and seemed to be near the front of the plane, possibly because negotiations are being conducted over the cockpit radio with an Indian team on another aircraft.

Meals are served through the day and have been tailored to cater to vegetarians and Hindus who do not eat meat.

“They get beans and rice, the Hindus and vegetarians, and the others get lamb, some greens,’’ the official said.

The 57-strong Indian delegation brought foodstuffs, spare parts for the plane and medicine for the passengers, who are said to include two cancer patients needing treatment as well as women and children.

Temperature outside the plane vary from sub-zero at night to baking during the day, necessitating the repair yesterday of the engine that powers the ventilation system.

“When the passengers awoke today, heavy frost had formed on the airstrip and adjacent fields, but by midday it was starting to get really hot,’’ one Afghan at the scene said.