Author: Editorial
Publication: The Free Press Journal
Date: February 9, 2006
URL: http://www.samachar.com/features/090206-editorial.html
President Musharraf of Pakistan has been flying
a number of political kites of late for a solution of Kashmir. In his latest
unsolicited advice to India, he says that the first step for ending terrorism
in India is the withdrawal of Indian troops from three cites of Kashmir, namely
Srinagar, Baramula and Kupwara, the nerve centre of Pakistansponsored terrorism.
Which is a confession on the part of Musharraf
that he wills so, he can end terrorism. This is nothing short of blackmail.
This is putting a price on achieving peace in Indian cites and towns.
After masterminding the most heinous attack
on a congregation of scientists at the Institute of Science in Banglore, for
which the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba is responsible, going by a number
of indications (LeT has already taken responsibility for the attack on the
Delhi market on the eve of Divali last year), Musharraf is almost telling
India: `Let your army withdraw from the above-mentioned places and then I
shall stop terrorism.'
Conversely, if the Indian army does not withdraw
from those three places, terrorists will go on attacking and it is business
as usual as far as the Pak army and ISI are concerned.
The new trend in Pak terrorism is to attack
India's knowledge industry centres and bleed India (a thousand cuts on India)
so that its economic and scientific prowess will be affected. Before the Bangalore
attack, it was rumoured that a terrorist attack on the IT complex there was
imminent, according to Indian intelligence.
Other equally important targets have been
identified, murder equipments are made available to Pak marauders and logistics
and other assistance are supplied. Only the strike hour to be decided in accordance
with the circumstances prevailing in the judgement of the terrorists. Unwittingly
Musharraf disclosed that Pak army has a role in all this with him.
Musharraf is talking about ending terror in
India through his own agenda. This is the typical language of the soldier
who is trained not to see the other side of the river. The government of India
has already made it clear that it will not be browbeaten in the discharge
of its sovereign duties like when to withdraw army units from a place or when
to redeploy them.
And the General wants India to trust him,
since the whole world trusts him. He is welcome to his folly. But even Muslim
states like Afghanistan, Kuwait, central Asian republics and even Iraq do
not trust him. After Kargil, India cannot and will not trust him. His policy
is to show a pleasant face to the outside world of a reasonable and result-oriented
politician and to keeping his powder dry, when it comes to India.
Here is a man who seriously suggests to divide
Kashmir into seven regions and controlling them jointly by India and Pakistan.
All one can say is that the General can pull out as many rabbits from his
hat as occasion demands. Now that the Hurriyat delegation is in Pakistan,
badmouthing India, the General thinks aloud that self-governance, something
between autonomy and independence, would be a Kashmir solution.
All that we tell the Hurriyat people is to
win an election and then talk to the Kashmir people. Musharraf's terrorists
may be hiding in several parts of India. Hence his attempt to blackmail India.
This country will not be cowed down by his double-talk.
His terror badge will not come unstuck by
his "comfort level" talks. This country has withstood the blackmail
of several of his predecessors.