redif.com (Pakistani news source)

November 17, 2001 Pakistan won't grant asylum to Laden, Omar

Pakistan on Saturday said it would not grant political asylum to Taleban chief Mullah Mohammed Omar or terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden.

The law would take its own course if any member of the Taleban or Al Qaeda entered Pakistan, Foreign Office spokesman Aziz Ahmad Khan told reporters.

He also said that legal action would be taken against those Pakistani militants who went to Afghanistan to join the militia and returned home.

Khan urged the United Nations to urgently call a meeting of all Afghan groups and form a transitional government to avoid the danger of civil war in Afghanistan. "We find it urgent to call a meeting of Afghan groups so that a broad-based multi ethnic government is set up in Afghanistan," he said.

Meanwhile, a special Russian commando team landed at Bagram airbase ahead of the arrival of a high-level delegation to the Afghan capital to look into the military requirements of the "legitimate" government of Afghanistan,

The unit was to ensure the security of the 17-member official team led by Russia's special envoy Alexander Oblov, Russian state TV RTR said.

Moscow announced plans to rush the team to Kabul shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin returned on Friday from the United States, where he met President George Bush.

PTI

-- Anonymous, November 17, 2001