Author: Saurabh Shukla
Publication: India Today
Date: February 18, 2008
URL: http://indiatoday.digitaltoday.in/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&&issueid=39&id=4339&Itemid=1&page=in&latn=2
Introduction: Pakistan's continued harbouring
of hijackers and fugitives wanted by India besides again broadcasting aggressive
anti-India propaganda has increased tension between the two countries
With the Indo-Pakistan peace process grinding
to a halt following political instability in Pakistan, the incremental gains
of the composite dialogue process, to discuss crossborder terrorism, Jammu
and Kashmir and other issues, seem to be lost and the trust deficit is widening
with Pakistan's vitriolic anti-India propaganda on the rise.
What has made reconciliation difficult is
Pakistan's continued support to crossborder terror against India. Take the
case of the hijack of IC-814 to Kandahar in December 1999.
While the minor conspirators were sentenced
to life imprisonment by an Indian court on February 5, New Delhi is upset
that the main culprits are still at large in Pakistan.
Many others on India's list of 40 fugitives,
including three terrorists of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) Maulana Masood Azhar,
Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar and Ahmed Umar Syed, who later killed American journalist
Daniel Pearl, continue to be in Pakistan.
But pleas for their extradition, despite Interpol
redcorner notices, have been ignored by Islamabad, in clear violation of the
Montreal and Hague conventions, besides the SAARC convention on suppression
of terrorism.
Two months back, the heavilyguarded residence
of Indian High Commissioner Satyabrata Pal was broken into by suspected operatives
from Pakistani intelligence agency ISI while he was away in Karachi.
Though none of the valuables were touched,
what was earlier dubbed as a simple burglary has turned out to be a well planned
intelligence coup. South Block is worried that the Pakistani intelligence
may have got its hands on a treasure trove of sensitive information contained
in Pal's stolen laptop.
This has led to fears that some key Indian
assets may have been compromised. The high commissioner's residence in Islamabad's
high security G-6 locality was also manned by Pakistani security guards.
The fact that the intruders chose to take
away only his briefcase and laptop made it look suspicious. Although both
sides have maintained silence on the issue, the security breach has vitiated
the atmosphere.
South Block insiders say it appears that the
break-in was pre-planned and the agency may have been tipped off that the
envoy used his laptop for secure communication.
Officials maintain that in a sensitive diplomatic
station like Islamabad, it seems that standard security procedures, like keeping
the laptop in a secure place, were not followed, but the fact that the Pakistani
intelligence agency managed to mount a daring operation during Emergency,
proves that it had the sanction of the top brass of the ISI which functions
under the direct control of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf.
Tension has been simmering for a while and
close on the heels of the break-in New Delhi also lodged another protest with
Islamabad.
This time the accusation was that Radio Pakistan
had increased its anti-India propaganda and its Lahore station was airing
a programme Punjabi Durbar which is exhorting the Sikhs to revive their demand
for Khalistan.
"All this is part of a well orchestrated
strategy by the ISI to foment communal trouble in India and intelligence reports
suggest that Sikh militants are being told to revive the Khalistan issue,"
remarked a South Block source.
Sample a recent broadcast on Punjabi Durbar:
"The Indian Government has failed to provide justice and job opportunities
leading to the mushrooming of fraud deras in Punjab… a number of deras
have been set up in Punjab to misguide the people and interfere in the religions
of certain communities. Baba Ram Rahim Singh, of religious sect Sacha Sauda
has been sponsored by official Indian agencies to misguide people."
This was aired shortly before a bomb blast
targeted the Baba's convoy in February.
Another programme on Lahore I station, the
official broadcaster of Pakistan, said: "Brahmin-dominated Hindu imperialistic
powers at Delhi have launched a campaign to weaken Sikhism and its culture
in Punjab. There is a conspiracy under which Sikh youths are encouraged to
leave the religion and take to intoxicants."
Punjabi Durbar, on another occasion said,
"The Sikh Panth has to take its own care and there is a dire need of
creating Khalistan where the religion and culture of Sikhs may flourish."
