The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Monday, December 24, 2001, Chandigarh, India

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Pak accuses India of kidnapping Embassy worker

Islamabad, December 23
Pakistan today accused India of kidnapping and torturing a staff member with its High Commission in New Delhi and said it had lodged an official protest with the Indian authorities.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Mohammad Sharif Khan, whose role at the Embassy was not specified, was “kidnapped” yesterday by “Indian intelligence operatives” while he was shopping at a New Delhi market.

“During interrogation, he was stripped naked, severely beaten and tortured, resulting in visible and internal injuries. The medical report confirms that Mohammad Sharif Khan was ruthlessly beaten and tortured,” it said.

The Embassy worker was released after five hours, but was forced to sign a statement acknowledging involvement in espionage, the Foreign Ministry said. AFP

Former judge denies Pak involvement

Lucknow, December 23
Former Chief Justice of Pakistan Nasim Hasan Shah has suggested an impartial inquiry, including one by the FBI, into the December 13 terrorist attack on Parliament and said Islamabad was in no way involved in the incident.

“Pakistan cannot be so foolish as to do such a thing. They know India is a powerful country and such an adventure would be fought with danger,” Mr Shah, who was here to participate in an International Seminar of the Chief Justices from all over the world, said yesterday.

He said India was “wrong” in turning down Pakistan’s request for a joint investigation. “Peoples of both countries believe the most ridiculous and most extreme things about each other. So we must get to the truth. How can we get to the truth? It is by an impartial inquiry.”

Investigation into the attack could also be handed over to the FBI or any other independent agency to bring out the truth, he said.

Mr Shah said, “The identity of the terrorists killed in the attack is a mystery. “There are apprehensions in Pakistan that the BJP-led government at the Centre had planned the attack on Parliament to gain political mileage in the coming Assembly elections in some key states,” he added. PTI