WASHINGTON, Dec 7: The United States has not asked Pakistan to hand over former ISI chief Hameed Gul to India, US and diplomatic sources told Dawn on Sunday.

The US and Indian media reported on Saturday that the United States has asked Pakistan to hand over Mr Gul and Lashkr-e-Tayyaba commander Zaki ur-Rehman Lakhwi to India.

The reports also claimed that Pakistan had accepted the demand.

“I doubt it,” said a senior diplomat when asked to comment on the report. “I do not believe that Pakistan can hand over a former ISI chief to India for interrogation.”

The diplomat said the Americans also knew that this was a demand Pakistan could not fulfil and therefore they would never back such a demand.

But the sources said that another report that the United States might place Mr Gul on a UN terrorist list was more credible.

The issue came up at a State Department briefing on Friday when a reporter asked deputy spokesman Robert Wood to confirm if the US had already sent the names of some Pakistani individuals, including several retired ISI officials, to the Security Council for addition to the UN terrorist sanctions list.

“I’m not going to comment on names that we may or may not submit to the UN,” said Mr Wood. “It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to do at this point.” He said he would reveal the details when the list was sent.

On Sunday, Mr Gul told reporters in Islamabad the US wanted him on a United Nations list of people and organisations linked to Al Qaeda and Taliban.

Mr Gul said Pakistani foreign ministry officials had confirmed to him the United States was trying to put him on the UN list. He said he had asked his government for support.

Khalid Khwaja, an old ISI colleague of Mr Gul, said he suspected his was another name the United States aimed to add to the UN list.

Once the list of an individual or a group is added to this list, all UN members are required to freeze without delay the funds and other financial assets or economic resources of designated individuals and entities.

UN members are also required to prevent the entry into or transit through their territories by designated individuals.