WASHINGTON, June 25: In a major step towards fighting terrorism, India and the United States today signed a bilateral treaty under which both countries will extradite fugitives wanted by each other, regardless of their nationality. Political offences will, however, remain outside the ambit of the treaty.

The new treaty, signed by Minister of State for External Affairs Salim Sherwani and US Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott, will enable either government to arrest fugitives immediately on request from the other government to prevent the wanted persons from fleeing. It replaces a 1931 extradition treaty between the US and the UK, which served as a model and was in force between India and the US.

Articulate, confident and assertive, Sherwani also told American lawmakers and administration officials that the movement of Prithvi missiles was a domestic affair and need not set off any alarms in the US or in Pakistan.

In back-to-back meetings with Congressmen, Senators and officials on Tuesday and Wednesday, Sherwani explained India's position on the Prithvi missile movement controversy in the context of Delhi's security perceptions, while discreetly asking US to back off.

India was well within its rights to move unarmed missiles to any site within its boundaries, Sherwani informed the lawmakers.

Sherwani's assertion came even as the American media once again exposed US duplicity in not acting on its own intelligence reports pointing not only to Chinese supply of M-11 missiles, but also helping Pakistan put up a missile factory.

Correcting the perception in some quarters here that the Prithvi missiles may have been moved by the Indian military without the knowledge of or clearance from the country's political or executive arm, Sherwani told his hosts that this was not possible in the India.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.