Author: Kamal Kant Gouri/New Delhi
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: May 24, 2002
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf
thinks India has a short memory. His latest promise made on Wednesday that
"no organisation in Pakistan will be allowed to indulge in terrorism in
the name of Kashmir", seems to be based on this very belief. The same promise
was made, word by word, in his "famous" speech of January 12.
The Wednesday's statement was made
after a high-level meeting of Federal Cabinet and the National Council
of Pakistan which deliberated on the situation on the border. The meeting
was presided over by Gen Musharraf himself.
The meeting took place in view
of the war clouds hovering over the two countries subsequent to the Kaluchak
incident wherein the family members of Indian armed personnel were targetted
by terrorists.
The General and his associates seem
to have done little at the meeting except picking up some portions from
the former's January 12 speech. These parts were presented as a "fresh
assurance" to the world. However, the General and his associates forgot
to change even the wordings so as to present it in new package.
The General has conveniently forgotten
about all those assurances that he gave India in his January 12 speech.
The Pakistani leader had come out with a long speech when India sent its
armed forces on the border after the terrorist attack on Indian Parliament
on December 13.
"No organisation will be allowed
to indulge in terrorism in the name of Kashmir." This is a part of the
statement that was made by General Musharraf on January 12.
Under pressure due to the Kaluchak
incident, General Musharraf's assurance now reads, "No organisation in
Pakistan will be allowed to indulge in terrorism in the name of Kashmir."
Perhaps, General thinks that India does not even maintain record of his
speeches!
However, a section in India seems
prepared to be obfuscated by the General's new gimmickry as they allowed
themselves after the January 12 speech. He was even termed Pakistan's Kamaal
Ataturk by a section here.
In his January speech, the General
said, "We condemn the terrorist acts of September 11 (in US), October 1
(on J&K Assembly) and December 13 (on Indian Parliament). Anyone found
involved in any terrorist act would be dealt with sternly. Strict action
will be taken against any Pakistani individual, group or organisation found
involved in terrorism within or outside the country. Our behaviour must
always be in accordance with international community."
He did not stop here. He further
said, "...Pakistan rejects and condemns terrorism in all its forms and
manifestation. Pakistan will not allow its territory to be used for any
terrorist activity anywhere in the world..."
However, after so many promises,
there was no respite from violence. Instead, it reached one step higher.
The families of the armed personnel
have been targetted in an effort to demoralise the armed forces.
The action is done in the anticipation
that India again wouldn't respond militarily. It would be restrained by
the international community from taking any punitive action across the
border, seems to be the feeling.
At the same time, Pakistan is also
making efforts to disrupt the peace process by targetting leaders like
Abdul Ghani Lone who refused to toe its line.
The message was that all those who
were inclined to take part in the forthcoming Assembly elections would
meet the same fate.
Having achieved the two objectives
- targetting the moderates in the Hurriyat and hitting at the morale of
armed forces - the Pakistan has again begun the parrot-talk of "it would
not allow terrorism in the name of Kashmir". Pakistan and its leaders seem
to be mastering the art of obfuscation and also getting away with it.
