REPUBLIC IMPACT: Imran Khan Govt responds to PM Modi’s interview, Minister Fawad Chaudhry says Pakistan ‘willing to consider all issues' when questioned on PM Modi's demand to return criminals hiding in Pakistan

Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a stern message asked Pakistan to 'return the criminals' to India, Pakistan Minister Fawad Chaudhry has responded showing willingness towards his demands. 

In an exclusive interview to Republic Bharat Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking to Editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami on Friday said that Pakistan must return criminals facing Red Corner Notices, including Hafiz Saeed, the 26/11 mastermind, if they truly believe in peace. 

In response to which, Imran Khan's Minister told Republic that Pakistan is open to 'all kinds of cooperation', including 'prison exchange'

He said, "We are open to all kinds of cooperation including prisoner exchange programme. Let India come to the talking table and we will discuss everything."

READ| PM Modi Interview: 'If Your Intention Is Peace And Friendship, Hand The Terrorists Over', Says PM Modi To Pakistan

When questioned specifically about 26/11 mastermind, Hafiz Saeed who is roaming freely in Pakistan, the Minister asked for 'evidence' against the founder of Jama'at-ud-Da'wah, a UN-designated terror organisation. 

He said, "Including Hafiz Saeed and all other people if they share evidence we are willing to come to the table on Prime Minister's message on the future of India-Pakistan ties.

"We are willing to leave the past behind, and talk about everything," he said. 

Prime Minister Modi asked Pakistan to return criminals who have fled India and underlined Pakistan's failure to act upon terrorists despite evidence being provided to them. 

He said, "Tell me those people who've fled India and are facing Red Corner Notices, they're criminals. We've given note verbals. Why don't they hand them over? If their intention is peace and friendship, hand those people over. We've given them all the dossiers and details of 26/11, hand those people to law enforcement agencies, send them to India. We will take action."

He highlighted how India's fight is against terror and not the people of Pakistan.

He said, "Jaish-e-Mohammed members clearly admit they've done it (Pulwama attack), despite that they don't take action. And that is why we were never fighting the people of Pakistan and we are not fighting them even now. Our fight is against terrorism. I have biblically made this statement... When the Prime Minister of Pakistan won elections and came to power, I called to congratulate him."

Along with Hafiz Saeed, Pakistan has refuged terrorists and their outfits, including Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar. 

READ| IS THIS INVESTIGATION? 'We Asked Jaish' Is Imran Khan Government's Flimsy Basis For JeM Clean Chit, Despite India Giving Pakistan Evidence

Pakistan's love affair with terror has been an age-old tale, with the country's history of fostering varied terror outfits, here are some of them are: 

• Lashkar-e-Omar is a new terrorist group reportedly founded in January 2002 and is a conglomerate of Harkat-ul-Jihad-i-Islami (HuJI), Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) cadres.
• Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) is headquartered at Muzaffarabad in Pakistan occupied Kashmir and is presently headed by Syed Salahuddin.
• The Harkat -UL-Ansar also known as Harkat-ul Mujahideen was formed by the merge of two Pakistani groups and operates out of Muzaffarabad, capital of PoK
• The Al-Badr is an active terrorist organization in Jammu and Kashmir, the organization was formed in June 1998 and is headquartered at Mansehra in Pakistan and reported to have a camp office in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan occupied Kashmir.        
• Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen (TuM) was formed in June 1990 by Yunus Khan it is headquartered in POK, Muzaffarabad.