Taliban Urged to Take Firm Decision on Osama IssueThe Pakistani government on September 21 urged the ruling Afghan Taliban to make a "firm decision" on the handover of Osama bin Laden, the most wanted man by the United States in the terror attacks in Washington and New York last week.Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad on September 21, Foreign Office spokesman Riaz Muhammad Khan said that Pakistan hopes the Taliban leadership will take a firm decision that satisfies the demands of the international community. More than 1000 Afghan Islamic clerics on Thursday appealed to the Taliban regime to request Saudi-born Osama bin Laden to leave Afghanistan voluntarily whenever possible, which was considered by the Taliban as "only recommendation". He said that Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and many world leaders emphasized the need for patience, evidence and managing the response carefully, so that innocent people do not suffer in the fight against terrorism. The Taliban Chief Representative in Islamabad, Mulla Abdul Salam Zaeef, told a press conference here on September 21 that the Taliban would not hand over Osama bin Laden without evidence. |
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