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 Ominous
clouds of tension between India and Pakistan ate once again threatening
to explode into war. Elements responsible for this avoidable situation
are those seeking constant encouragement from Islamabad. Even for the
Kaluchak incident, in which over 30 people were killed, there is
indelible evidence to show Islamabad's tacit involvement as all the
three terrorists who gunned down innocent people at the break of day on
May 14, were Pakistani nationals belonging to Faislabad and Gujranwala
districts. Not only that, certain food items such as biscuits and
chocolates found on the persons of these terrorists, shot dead later by
the Army revealed their origin in Zaffarwal in Pakistan. Still,
mavericks in Islamabad are not prepared to own up any responsibility for
the attack. And, they wouldn't till the Punjabi-dominated Pakistan
Army's blessings and the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence's
co-operation are with them. In fact, no amount of pressure, howsoever
weighty, can compel the elements bent on creating mayhem in Kashmir from
committing excesses on innocent lives.
Pakistan President GenPervez Musharraf, a Mohajir, appears to be playing
into the hands of these people. Though he has tried his best to clear
the ISI of Gen Mohmud Ahmed-type people, there are still many pawns in
the agency who simply go against Gen Musharraf's plans. Even the Army is
said to be not in the complete control of its supreme commander that Gen
Musharraf is. A section of the Pakistan Army (read Punjabis) which is
anti-India and anti-US is looking for an opportunity to corner Gen
Musharraf and leave him no escape route. Senior Army official Lt Gen M.H.
Usmani, Lahore Corps Commander Lt Gen. M. Aziz and Karachi Corps
Commander T W. Ghazi are unhappy with the President for throwing
Afghanistan at the feet of the Americans and handling the Kashmir issue
in a casual manner.
Their clout within Pakistan's administrative set up is so strong that
even after a major shake-off in both military and civilian ranks, a lot
of officials having jehadi leanings enjoy a tacit relationship with
these Army men. However, so long as the U.S.A is around the Pakistan
President with unassailable protective gear, they cannot work openly
against Gen Musharraf.
Gen Musharraf is enmeshed between American's crushing demand for more
action against Al-Qaeda men and domestic compulsion to go slow against
jehadi elements fighting in Kashmir. In no circumstances can he ignore
these realities. Bushing off the U.S. demand means jeoparding his chair,
and unheeding domestic compulsions on Kashmir means inviting a thret to
his life.
His order to release activists of five fundamentalist outfits in
Pakistan is a case in point to show his character. Action was taken
against jehadi elements by Pakistani authorities in the aftermath of the
January 12 commitment by President Musharraf to the world on terrorism.
. Like a true sympathiser of jehadi forces, he told the Prime Minister
of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Sikandar Hayat Khan during a meeting in
Islamabad recently that his government would continue to extend "moral,
political and diplomatic" support for the cause of Kashmir. A senior
Pentagon official has been quoted by the Washington Post as complaining
that "our guys have not been getting the cooperation" requested from the
Pakistani government to nab Osama bin Laden's men. Despite this the Bush
administration is not ready to take the Pakistan President by the
scruff. In fact, it is prepared to give him the benefit of doubt.
But will India do the same? " No", says Commodore CUday Bhaskar of the
Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis. According to him, New Delhi
should take firm politico-diplomatic action against Pakistan before
resorting to any punitive action like war against that country. "War is
not a solution for stopping infiltration. India should first exhaust all
diplomatic options at its disposal," says, Commodore Bhaskar.
True, New Delhi appears to be following the same strategy. After it has
told New Delhi-based Pakistan High Commissioner Ashraf Jahangir Qazi to
leave India within a week, it has planned to divest Pakistan of the MFN(
most favoured nation) status. Besides, India is also engaged in aheavy
military build up along the international border and the Line of
Control. Ostensibly, all this is being done to put pressure on Islamabad
to mend its ways and check infiltration which has in recent days
increased to a large extent. In the month of April alone, as many as 300
incidents of infiltration had been reported. Till the second week of
May, no less than 10 dozen incidents of infiltration and over 90
killings, including the Kaluchak massacre were reported. Obviously, this
kind of massive infiltration and killings cannot take place without the
connivance of Pak authorities. But as usual Islamabad says New Delhi has
no evidence to cite Pakistan's involvement in the mayhem and violence in
Jammu and Kashmir. Exercises by the Indian military along the western
and northern borders have started afresh. Pakistan
too has put its forces on high alert. |
