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Hijackers were all Indian citizens: Azhar

KARACHI: The hijackers of Indian Airlines were all citizens of India, said Mohammed Masood Azhar here on Thursday in his first appearance before the electronic and print media.

"As far as my knowledge is concerned, they were alll Indian citizens who were unknown militants and had taken the step to avenge Indian oppression on Muslims in the valley," he said.

Azhar was handed over to the hijackers on December 31 with two other Muslim leaders by Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh in Kandhar and got released 159 passengers, who were taken hostage for eight days.

"I challenge the Indian authorities to prove that any Pakistani citizen was onboard the hijacked plane," he said in determination and added "if India brought any evidence, he was ready to accept all their allegations".

He urged Pakistan to stop issuing clarifications to India or the world as the Indians always blame Pakistan for its misdoings.

"I believe Pakistan has nothing to do with the hijacking," he said and added that India itself was a terrorist state.

During the question - answer session, Azhar said that the hijackers hugged him when they first spotted him and told him that they could not remove masks from their faces.

"I tried to probe them. They just said that they were Indian citizens," he said.

Recalling the torture and mistreatment in indian jails, Azhar said that he could not see sunlight for whole 12 months.

"When I was released. I felt relieved and happy and recited verses from the holy Quran to express my gratitude before God Almighty."

To a question he said; "I am not a criminal. I can come back to my country anytime".

About any doubts in the minds of hijackers, who received him at Kandahar Airport, Masood Azhar said that he was more popular among Indian Muslims.

"You don't know me here. But Muslims in India know me very well," he said and added that he entered India on a legal visa granted by Indian Embassy in England.

Earlier, in his written statement, he demanded immediate release of prisoners illegally confined in jails in Jammu and Kashmir.

Azhar further demanded that India should withdraw forces from occupied Kashmir and resolve the dispute through dialogue with Pakistan.

"Unless India resolves the Kashmir issue, there may not be any talks on (trade) grains, sugar, potato or tomato etc.," he said.

Azhar said Kashmir was part of Pakistan and the life and honour of the people must be more sacred than potato or tomato.

'If India wants peace in the region, it should come forward for dialogues," he observed.

The Chairman of the Majlis Islami and care-taker of Binori Town mosque, Maulana Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai in his brief statement urged the government to provide security to Masood Azhar. APP