Two of the three militants freed by India in exchange for hostages aboard a hijacked airliner have now arrived in Pakistan, reports say.

One of the released pro-Kashmiri militants, Azhar Masood, gave a fiery speech to supporters in Karachi, vowing not to rest until Kashmir was liberated from Indian rule.

The other, Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar, is said to have arrived in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani-administered Kashmir.

He was greeted by several fellow militants who fired celebratory shots in the air.

The whereabouts of the third freed militant, Ahmad Omar Saeed Sheikh, who carries a British passport, is unknown.

The three were released by India in a deal with the hijackers of an Indian Airlines aircraft, parked at Kandahar airport.

Pakistan is keen to distance itself from the hijacking and will not want to emphasise the return of any of the released prisoners to Pakistani-controlled Kashmir.

The hijacking has resulted in Delhi and Islamabad exchanging a series of vitriolic statements.

India has accused Pakistan of involvement in the hijacking but Pakistan has vehemently denied the charge.

"We have enough evidence of Pakistan's involvement in the hijacking of the Indian Airlines aircraft ... we will disclose it at the appropriate time," India's Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee said.

But Pakistan's military ruler, General Pervez Musharraf, dismissed the allegations.

"The hijackers are not in Pakistan. The Indian propaganda is baseless," Gen Musharraf said.

Meanwhile, Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes criticised the United States for not coming out against Pakistan's alleged support to terrorists.

"When it comes to Bin Laden, the United States fires not one but scores of missiles with high precision technology," Mr Fernandes said.

"What the United States and the world need to realise is that terrorism understands no country borders," he said.