Author: B L Kak
Publication: The Daily Excelsior
Date: May 11, 2002
The United States has made it clear
to Pakistan that it does not want any kind of support to or leniency towards
the militants and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. Washington's latest
message, precisely, calls for " prompt and potent" steps by Islamabad in
this regard.
India's Foreign Office has just
received inputs from Washington, stating that the Bush Administration has
asked Pakistan to curb militant infiltration and exercise "utmost restraint"
in Jammu and Kashmir. Washington's move apparently is to facilitate resumption
of talks between New Delhi and Islamabad.
The message while voicing the Bush
administration's "hope" for willingness by both India and Pakistan to resume
the stalled dialogue "on all issues, including Kashmir" was unambiguous
as it urged Islamabad to curb militant infiltration and to exercise utmost
restraint in Kashmir.
The United States seems keen to
lessen what Washington has termed as " danger of war between India and
Pakistan. Nearly, a million India and Pakistani troops have been deployed
along the long, winding borders of the two countries following December
13 attack on Indian Parliament, creating tensions and fear of war.
Washington's message, urging Pakistan
to check ultras in Jammu and Kashmir, came to be circulated at a time when
former chief of the banned Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Prof Hafeez Mohammed
Saeed, emphasized that Kashmir could be "liberated only through Jihad".
Pakistan's Urdu daily " Ausaf, had also quoted him as saying that the Mujahideen
in Kashmir " will not stop until they achieve their goal of liberating
Kashmir from India".
These were the first comments attributed
to Prof Saeed after his recent release from the custody by Pakistan Government.
He was arrested by Musharraf Government days after December 13 attack on
Parliament House in Delhi under Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) on charges
of making inflammatory speeches. Under MPO, a person can be detained only
for 90 days and when the period expires, he was released from custody.
In another significant development,
even the Musharraf Government was forced to disband nearly 30 junior-level
militancy offices who were involved in promoting a global jehad, no visible
drop could be ensured in cross-border infiltration in Jammu and Kashmir
so far highly placed sources in the security establishment say that Pakistan
appears to have taken this decision under the pressure from Bush administration.
Most of these were of the rank of Captain and Major.
It is, however, not clear whether
these officers were involved in Kashmir operations or were overseeing Jihad
activities for the Pakistan intelligence in other trouble spots, such as
Aghanistan. Sources said that New Delhi had reasons to be vigilant as Pakistan
had, in recent days, eased the pressure on terrorist groups operating from
its soil.
