On the verge of US airstrikes, the Taliban made a gesture that the US & the world ignored: Afghanistan's ruling Taliban are proposing to turn over Osama Bin Laden to Pakistan for trial, but only on condition that Islamabad will not extradite the Arab dissident to any other country, a top Taliban official told Online on Saturday."The proposal aimed at avoiding large-scale devastation has been received by Pakistani officials and they are considering it before sending to the USA", the official said.
Taliban Propose Osama Extradition to Pakistan
Updated on 10/7/2001 12:00:47 PM
KARACHI (Online): Afghanistan's ruling Taliban are proposing to turn over Osama Bin Laden to Pakistan for trial, but only on condition that Islamabad will not extradite the Arab dissident to any other country, a top Taliban official told Online on Saturday."The proposal aimed at avoiding large-scale devastation has been received by Pakistani officials and they are considering it before sending to the USA", the official said.
"Amir-ul-Momineen Mullah Muhammad Omer Mujahid had already announced that Taliban government is ready to accept Pakistan's mediation to resolve this issue", he added.
Taliban government has already announced that it would not hand over Bin Laden to USA even if it provided "whatever" proofs against him.
" We will not hand over Osama to America in any case.
Even if it provides whatever proofs against him", The Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan, Mullah Abdul Salam Zaif said while talking to newsmen on Thursday.
" They (USA) will treat Bin Laden like Yusuf Ramzi and Sheikh Abdul Rehman, who were innocent but the American courts had sentenced life imprisonment to them", he said adding " we don't trust in US judiciary".
Mullah Omer on Thursday in a meeting with a delegation of Pakistan's one of the main Islamic parties, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) had announced that his government would be happy if Pakistan mediates to help resolve Bin Laden issue.
" Taliban government has decided in principle that Osama Bin Laden would be handed over to Pakistani authorities if the USA and the western countries agree that he would be tried in Pakistan", the Taliban official said and added: " However, before that the USA has to give a firm assurance to Taliban through United Nations that he (Osama) would be tried only in Pakistan and would not be handed over to it".
This, he said, was a generous offer made by Taliban to avoid war and the international community including Pakistan should pressurise USA to accept it.
" Pakistan which earlier had been considered the benefactor of Taliban now sides with USA, therefore America should trust its old friend (Pakistan) and accept this proposal", he maintained.
To a query, the official confirmed that the Taliban government had received a clear-cut message from Pakistan expressing its inability to "support" the ruling militia any more.
" Musharaff has sent this message to Mullah Omer that his government, squeezed by an immense US pressure, could not support Taliban any more", he said and added: " Mullah Omer responded to the message of General Musharaff that his government does not want to plunge its old friend into any difficult position and will remain be thankful to Pakistani brothers for their generous hospitality".
However, the official avoided to elaborate on when, where and who delivered Musharaff's message to Taliban's supreme leader.
He dispelled the impression that General Musharaff had assured British Prime Minister Tony Blair of his government's support to replace Taliban government by Northern Alliance.
" Musharaff has only talked about a broad-based government in Pakistan.
This is his personal opinion but he cannot support Northern Alliance fighting against Taliban with the help of India and Russia", he said adding: " The incumbent government enjoys the support of 99 per cent Afghan people.
They mean by a broad-based government is a government which can turn over Osama to them".
"We understand the problems of the Pakistani government that is why we are not angry with it", he added.
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