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Musharraf rejects India's demand for handing over terrorists

V Mohan Narayan and V S Chandrasekar

Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on Sunday bluntly rejected India's demand for handing over criminals and terrorists, including Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, to it and said linking of the Kashmir issue with the attack on Parliament causes 'problems'.

"We are not into handing over anybody, anywhere," he told a press conference in Kathmandu in reply to a question why Pakistan is not handing over terrorists.

While conceding that terrorist acts, sectarian and religious violence and intolerance were there in Pakistan, he said action has been initiated against such elements, and wanted the world to see it and support it.

"But a problem arises when Kashmir is linked to Parliament attack," he said.

Maintaining that the attack on Indian Parliament was a terrorist act and that Pakistan strongly condemned it, Musharraf said India has not provided any evidence against elements involved in terrorist violence in India.

"If any Pakistani organisation or group is involved in the attack on Parliament then I guarantee that Pakistan will take action against them," Musharraf said.

Musharraf said Kashmir should be 'left as an issue as there are lot of nuances. We are ready to discuss it. It has to be taken in a wholesome context'.

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