General Pervez Musharraf’s options are extremely limited. His decision to join USA in the war against terrorism is not born out of conviction. It is a strategy to escape punishment at the hands of the super power. He admits to all this in his address to the nation on Wednesday. Non-cooperation, he says, will threaten integrity of Pakistan, security of its missile and nuclear establishments, revival of the national economy and what he calls the “Kashmir cause”. He wants the Islamic fundamentalists and other people of his country to realise the gravity of the situation and appreciate his compulsions in lending cooperation to the USA even at the cost of antagonizing Taliban regime and terrorist groups Pakistan had trained, armed and encouraged to unleash terror against infidels.
Pakistani dictator is a worried man. He compares the post-September 11 situation to 1971-an obvious reference to the vivisection of the artificially created state of Pakistan. As so often happens, the United States of America, so also Pakistan, are now on a confrontation course with their own creation-the Taliban. If Pakistan joins the US battle against Islamic fundamentalist regime in Afghanistan, it will have to face the wrath of Islamists within the country and outside Afghans on both sides of the Durand Line may join hands to give a body blow to the fragile unity of Pakistan leading to the emergence of Pakhtoonistan-the decades-old dream of Pakhtoons. Will it trigger off separatist movements in other parts of the country leading to balkanisation of Pakistan?
The dictator's pathological hatred against India was there for anyone to see. He blamed India for all this problems without admitting that Pakistan invited trouble by joining hands with the most wanted man in the world Osama bin Laden. He stooped low to launch -a tirade against India and sought to brand it as anti-Pakistan and anti-Muslim. India does not need certificates of good conduct from a dictator who is aiding and abetting terrorism in J&K and is in illegal occupation of a part of J&K. With all its weaknesses. India is a functional democracy that is committed to global peace and cordial relations with all neighbours. If any thing, our distorted concept of secularism ironically gives minorities more powers and privileges than the majority.
Taliban is playing games obviously to buy time. The clerics, who met in Kabul for two days, have asked the Taliban regime to “encourage Laden to leave the country voluntarily” leaving the choice of time and destination to the fountainhead of international terrorism. The gathering rejected the US charge against Osama about his involvement in the September 11 attacks and threatened to wage a “jehad” against US if it attacked Afghanistan. There is not a word about closure of terrorist training camps in Afghanistan and UN resolutions demanding unconditional surrender of Laden. It is no surprise that US rejected the decision with the contempt it deserved. The White House has asked the Taliban regime to handover the prime suspect to the responsible authorities and close down terrorist training camps. Knowing fully well what Taliban's response will be, the US army is reported to be ready to conduct sustained land combat operations as part of President Bush's promised war against terrorism.
US has been duly warned by Russia
and others who have learnt the hard way the cost of waging a war in a land
known to be a graveyard for foreign troops. It will he immoral and rank
stupidity on the part of the USA to try to occupy Afghanistan and get mired
in that rugged land. The American strategy, one learns, will be to resort
to massive aerial bombing, missile attacks and commando strikes to crush
the Taliban regime. Its aim will be to dislodge the Mullah Mohammed Omar's
regime and replace it by a moderate and friendly Government in Kabul. USA
is no mood to repeat the “blunder” it committed in 80s by pulling out of
the country without installing a “friendly” Government after the Soviet
army withdrew. The chaos that followed enabled Pakistan to install a lackey
Government in Afghanistan. Pakistan will try to install another ISI-sponsored
group to take over, if and when the Talibans are over-thrown. President
Bush, one hopes, will not repeat the blunder. But who knows? It will be
for New Delhi to ensure that it does not happen. President Musharraf wants
India to “lay off” precisely for this reason. We can't and should not.
Our regional concerns
Demand that Afghanistan be not
ruled by terrorists.
New Delhi must keep its fingers crossed. It must look for an opportune moment to use the same logic and resources USA is using against terrorist camps in Afghanistan to attack and destroy training camps in PoK. These camps pose a serious threat to India’s integrity and peace in the region. There is no dearth of evidence to show Taliban and Pakistan's involvement in cross border terrorism in J&K. The latest in the series is the call given by Taliban to “jehadis” operating in J&K to return home to fight USA in Afghanistan. The Government must also seriously consider the option of liberating PoK on its own strength as it legally belongs to India. American and Indian interests may converge on the battle against terrorism but not on our regional concerns. No one expects USA to help us in this venture. It has to be an entirely national effort backed by a national resolve.
New Delhi's spontaneous and voluntary offer of all out help to USA in the battle against international terrorism was on expected lines. India has suffered and suffered long because of cross border terrorism and any global effort to curb terrorism should be welcomed. The Government has repeatedly clarified that it was not asked for nor did if offer its 'bases for the US military. The request when made will be given due consideration keeping in view the national interests.
Meanwhile India has offset Pakistan's
bargaining power by offering support to the USA. The Prime Minister rightly
called an all-party meeting to take the Opposition in confidence. But the
Congress party is incorrigible. Its spokesman on External Affairs, Natwar
Singh has questioned the Government's authority to take decisions in this
matter and raised doubts about External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh's
wisdom in “jumping the gun”. As for the Government's authority, it is a
democratically elected Government and has all the power and responsibility
to take critical decisions about country's security and foreign policy.
One hates to go into the question of Natwar Singh's wisdom in trying to
divide the country on sensitive issues in this hour of crisis and opportunity.
But let him be reminded that the country has not forgotten the Congress
Government’s wisdom in handling Chinese intrusion into our territory in
50s and its naked aggression in 1962.