Bruce Loudon
South Asia correspondent
October 07, 2008
PAKISTAN President Asif Ali Zardari was at the centre of a political storm yesterday after turning decades-old policy over disputed Kashmir on its head and declaring its Islamic "freedom fighters" to be "terrorists".
The statement by Mr Zardari has sent shockwaves through Pakistan's political elite and is believed to be causing consternation among senior ranks in the 600,000-strong army, which maintains freedom for Indian-administered Kashmir as one of its most hallowed aims.
Indian authorities in Kashmir at the weekend imposed an indefinite curfew ahead of expected mass demonstrations demanding India's expulsion from the territory. In the past two months, Kashmir has seen some of the biggest pro-separatist demonstrations since the uprising against New Delhi's rule began in 1989. About 40 protesters were killed and more than 1000 injured.
The two nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours have fought three wars over Kashmir, a territory once described by former US president Bill Clinton as "the most dangerous place in the world" because of its potential to cause a nuclear conflagration. About 50,000 people are believed to have been killed in fighting in Kashmir since 1989.
India has welcomed Mr Zardari's tough stand on Kashmir.
New Delhi's Minister of State for External Affairs, Anand Sharma, said Mr Zardari's statement, which he made during an interview with The Wall Street Journal in New York, was "a welcome step, and Pakistan should honour the words with action in curbing terrorism".
New Delhi maintains that militants fighting to oust India from Kashmir -- who are mostly members of jihadi groups linked to al-Qa'ida -- are clandestinely controlled by the Pakistan army from across the Line of Control in what is known as "Azad Kashmir", territory controlled by Pakistan. India says that without this support from Pakistan, terrorism in Kashmir would be quickly defeated. To the undisguised delight of New Delhi, Mr Zardari also declared during The Wall Street Journal interview that he saw no danger from his neighbour. "India has never been a threat to Pakistan. I, for one, and our democratic Government is not scared of Indian influence abroad."
Mr Zardari said he had no objection to the nuclear co-operation pact between India and the US, a measure passed by Congress last week, as long as Pakistan was treated "on par".
Islamabad is now calling for the US to strike a similar nuclear deal with Pakistan.
Yesterday, on the eve of a closed session of parliament to discuss the country's security crisis, powerful elements in the Pakistani army were said to be taking "a dim view" of Mr Zardari's tough new stance on Kashmiri militants.
"It's a dramatic change, and if Zardari meant what he said, then he has signalled what could turn out to be one of the most dramatic moves in South Asian policy in many years, and one that has far-reaching implications," a senior diplomat in Islamabad said.
Amid the country's rapidly deteriorating security situation, officials have reportedly warned both Mr Zardari and Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to curtail their public appearances because of fears they are assassination targets.
And concern is mounting for the safety of the chief minister of the militant stronghold of the North-West Frontier Province, Ameer Haider Hoti, after rockets fired by insurgents landed near his home. The attack followed an unsuccessful weekend assassination attempt on Mr Hoti's party leader, Asfandyar Wali Khan.
Pakistani forces are continuing to pound jihadi hideouts in the militant stronghold of Bajaur, with the military yesterday claiming to have killed at least six insurgents. Orders have been issued to deport all Afghans from Bajaur and to send them back across the border following reports that Pakistani militants have been receiving support from across the border.
South Asia correspondent
October 07, 2008
PAKISTAN President Asif Ali Zardari was at the centre of a political storm yesterday after turning decades-old policy over disputed Kashmir on its head and declaring its Islamic "freedom fighters" to be "terrorists".
The statement by Mr Zardari has sent shockwaves through Pakistan's political elite and is believed to be causing consternation among senior ranks in the 600,000-strong army, which maintains freedom for Indian-administered Kashmir as one of its most hallowed aims.
Indian authorities in Kashmir at the weekend imposed an indefinite curfew ahead of expected mass demonstrations demanding India's expulsion from the territory. In the past two months, Kashmir has seen some of the biggest pro-separatist demonstrations since the uprising against New Delhi's rule began in 1989. About 40 protesters were killed and more than 1000 injured.
The two nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours have fought three wars over Kashmir, a territory once described by former US president Bill Clinton as "the most dangerous place in the world" because of its potential to cause a nuclear conflagration. About 50,000 people are believed to have been killed in fighting in Kashmir since 1989.
India has welcomed Mr Zardari's tough stand on Kashmir.
New Delhi's Minister of State for External Affairs, Anand Sharma, said Mr Zardari's statement, which he made during an interview with The Wall Street Journal in New York, was "a welcome step, and Pakistan should honour the words with action in curbing terrorism".
New Delhi maintains that militants fighting to oust India from Kashmir -- who are mostly members of jihadi groups linked to al-Qa'ida -- are clandestinely controlled by the Pakistan army from across the Line of Control in what is known as "Azad Kashmir", territory controlled by Pakistan. India says that without this support from Pakistan, terrorism in Kashmir would be quickly defeated. To the undisguised delight of New Delhi, Mr Zardari also declared during The Wall Street Journal interview that he saw no danger from his neighbour. "India has never been a threat to Pakistan. I, for one, and our democratic Government is not scared of Indian influence abroad."
Mr Zardari said he had no objection to the nuclear co-operation pact between India and the US, a measure passed by Congress last week, as long as Pakistan was treated "on par".
Islamabad is now calling for the US to strike a similar nuclear deal with Pakistan.
Yesterday, on the eve of a closed session of parliament to discuss the country's security crisis, powerful elements in the Pakistani army were said to be taking "a dim view" of Mr Zardari's tough new stance on Kashmiri militants.
"It's a dramatic change, and if Zardari meant what he said, then he has signalled what could turn out to be one of the most dramatic moves in South Asian policy in many years, and one that has far-reaching implications," a senior diplomat in Islamabad said.
Amid the country's rapidly deteriorating security situation, officials have reportedly warned both Mr Zardari and Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to curtail their public appearances because of fears they are assassination targets.
And concern is mounting for the safety of the chief minister of the militant stronghold of the North-West Frontier Province, Ameer Haider Hoti, after rockets fired by insurgents landed near his home. The attack followed an unsuccessful weekend assassination attempt on Mr Hoti's party leader, Asfandyar Wali Khan.
Pakistani forces are continuing to pound jihadi hideouts in the militant stronghold of Bajaur, with the military yesterday claiming to have killed at least six insurgents. Orders have been issued to deport all Afghans from Bajaur and to send them back across the border following reports that Pakistani militants have been receiving support from across the border.
Source: The Australian
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