But intelligence sources said Pakistan authorities diluted the case against Lal Kishenchand Advani following his comments that Mohammad Ali Jinnah was a secular leader.

According to these sources, Pakistan President Musharraf ordered that Advani's name be cleared following a thorough investigation.

Seventeen Hindus, including Advani, were named in the first information report registered in Karachi in 1947.

"When Musharraf went back from Agra [Images] in July 2001 he ordered a full probe against Advani as he believed that the former deputy prime minister had sabotaged the agreement between him and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

All the persons connected with Advani were interrogated in detail and the investigating agencies went to the places where he had lived and studied but found no evidence against Advani," a senior intelligence officer told rediff.com on Friday.

"His name figured on the top of 20 most wanted persons list handed down by Pakistan to India following India's demand to handover Dadwood Ibrahim, Maulana Masood Azhar and 18 others who are currently taking shelter in Pakistan," the officer said.

The alleged FIR against Advani had figured in media reports in Pakistan ahead of his recent visit but the Pakistan Foreign Office clarified that the government was not aware of it.

The FIR in question was filed at Jamshed Quarters police station in Karachi on Sept 10, 1947 and it listed 19 Hindus for conspiring to kill Jinnah. The names included Nand Gobindram, Gobind Lalsingh Ajwani, Chand Birwani, Hargobind Gidwani and Lekhraj Bagwan Das, the weekly said.

According to the FIR, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh had sent Rs 52,585 to the accused to help them execute the plan.

Cheques of Rs 1,500, 2,500 and 3,000 were also deposited in different banks in accounts held by the accused.

WITH PTI INPUTS