NEWSLINKS US EDITION SOUTH ASIA COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL DEAR REDIFF THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
T V Parasuram in Washington
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on Thursday dismissed claims by the alleged abductor of Daniel Pearl that he was dead and said that the American journalist was "possibly alive".
Asked by reporters at the National Press Club whether Pearl was "alive or not", Musharraf said: "It is a million dollar question. I think if he was not alive, with all the pressure we are putting, we would have got his body from somewhere. So, I think he is possibly alive. And though Sheikh Omar has said he is not, I don't believe him," Musharraf said.
"He has been switching statements a number of times. He may be trying to take us off the track... I hope and pray he (Pearl) is alive and that we get to him," he said.
"It is regrettable, it is condemnable, it is most tragic that Pearl is in the custody of these extremists," the president added.
ALSO READ Musharraf agrees to end cross-border terrorism: US US Senate welcomes, praises Musharraf Musharraf harps on Kashmir in Washington India may have test nuclear device: Musharraf US rubbishes Musharraf's charge Bush hopes to facilitate Indo-Pak talks India, Pak lobbies in overdrive
Tell us what you think of this report
Call India
