Author: Editorial
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: December 18, 2002
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/archive_full_story.php?content_id=14946
Introduction: What Pakistan says
and what it does are two separate things when it comes to jehadis
The release of Masood Azhar, the
head of Jaish-e-Mohammad, by the Lahore High Court from preventive detention
comes a month after the same court released Hafeez Mohammad Saeed, the
chief of the banned terrorist group, Lashkar-e-Toiba. Leading segments
of the Pakistani media had believed that the arrest of Masood a year ago
had made a significant contribution to lowering tension between Pakistan
and India, besides Pakistan itself being the primary beneficiary of his
arrest and the ban on his group. But what is more important is the fact
that Pakistan government, in its submission to the court seeking to extend
Masood's detention, had stated that any denial of his further detention
could result in 'severe' law and order situation in the country.
The government, therefore, sought
Masood's detention for a further period of 90 days on the grounds of the
'prime interest' of Pakistan. But the court concluded that the government
had failed even after one year to produce sufficient evidence for further
extension of the detention period.
On the other hand, the divisional
police officer has stated that Masood Azhar was 'not involved in a terrorist
or any criminal activity' during the period of detention since December
2, 2001. This is obviously a stark contradiction of the government's own
plea for extending the detention on grounds of 'prime interests' of the
state! After the Indian threat of war last year, and General Pervez Musharraf's
January 12 speech, nearly 2,000 leaders and members of jehadi groups had
been arrested. But within a few months more than 1,300 of them had been
released on grounds of insufficient evidence. More recently, a number of
leaders and activists of banned jehadi organisations like the Lashkar-e-Toiba
have been freed, making a mockery of both the law and of Pakistan's professed
co-operation in the war against terrorism.
Pakistani police and other agencies
have been deeply influenced by the jehadi groups, and have done precious
little to curb lawlessness and terrorism even inside Pakistan. This may
be a factor in the police not bringing forth the minimum evidence required
in the case. But Pakistan has been very selective in arresting and punishing
people involved in terrorist activities, and sufficient evidence has been
forthcoming quite efficiently when the establishment decided that it would
suit its interests to do so.
In fact, even normal legal provisions
and extradition procedures were ignored in cases like that of Aimal Kansi
(involved in New York's first World Trade Centre bombing in early 1990s)
or the Al Qaeda top leader Zawahiri, arrested from Faisalabad in March
last. Essentially the bulk of evidence in cases like that of Masood Azhar's
culpability is likely to be in the possession of the ISI. As long as ISI
continues to propagate its role of controlling domestic politics as well
as waging jihad across the borders, it is unlikely to part with such evidence
to the courts.