950807

Indian hand likely

for taking western

hostages in Valley

RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Secretary Najmuddin A Shaikh on Monday did not rule out the involvement of the Indian intelligence agencies in taking five western tourists to Occupied Kashmir as hostage.

"We have a suspicion that it is the same group as they put it or a group created by the Indian intelligence," he told a reporter at a news conference he addressed at the Foreign Office.

He said Pakistan Foreign Office is in touch with the embassies of the countries concerned - US, Norway, Germany and the United Kingdom whose nationals are being kept hostage by an unknown group in the Occupied Kashmir

"We told them we would like to help but we have no knowledge (about the group who is involved)".