BJP patriarch Lal Krishna Advani on Sunday said that relations between India and Pakistan would improve vastly if only Islamabad handed over wanted terrorists like Dawood Ibrahim to New Delhi and closed down all terrorists’ safe heavens in its territory.
Revealing what transpired in his meeting with Pakistan foreign secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani, in his latest blog, the former home minister said he had raised the issue of cross-border terrorism and related issues. He said, “An even more distressing aspect of continuing Indo-Pak tension on the issue of terrorism is the safe haven Pakistan still provides to declared terrorists and absconders like Dawood Ibrahim. If taking a cue from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan can hand over Dawood Ibrahim to India, it can overnight change public perception in India about Pakistan.” Mr Advani has also stressed during his interaction with Mr Jilani that Pakistan has not been sincere in implementing the Vajpayee-Mushraaf accord that was signed in Islamabad on January 6 2004. “I said to him that for us the greatest regret has been that the joint statement issued by Gen. Musharraf and Vajpayee has not been sincerely followed up,” Mr Advani said.