archive: War more imminent, says former ISI chief
War more imminent, says former ISI chief
Islamabad
The Observer
July 12, 1999
Title: War more imminent, says former ISI chief
Author: Islamabad
Publication: The Observer
Date: July 12, 1999
The former chief of Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI),
General. (Retd) Hameed Gul, claims war between India and Pakistan has
become more imminent after the Washington accord and has appealed to
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to go back on the deal.
In a statement, General Gut said the meeting between Mr Sharif and US
President Bill Clinton in Washington did not result in a deal about
the Kargil heights but 'a deal on Pakistan's solidarity', NNi news
agency reported.
"Its negative effects will be felt by everyone, including the Pakistan
army," he claimed. General Gut said there is still time for Mr Sharif
to go back on the Washington accord and apologise to the nation.
"India was not part of the talks, so the so-called accord could not
address the Kergil and Kashmir issues," he said. The former ISI chief
wanted to know that if Mr Sharif had scored a diplomatic victory as
the gov6m-ment had claimed, why was it that he arrived in Lahore from
his trips to the US and Britain after the city was put under virtual
curfew.
"It only betrays his guilt," General Gut said. After a long time, he
said, the nation was uniting on one platform forgetting all
differences. "But the prime minister has squandered away the historic
opportunity," he charged.
The Sharif-Clinton meeting, General Gul said, has unfortunately told
India that the Pakistani prime minister is a 'man of weak nerves',
war, he said, has only come nearer.
"If Kargil is vacated, India would tomorrow demand the merger of 'Azad
Kashmir' (Pakistan tan occupied Kashmir)" with Jammu and Kashmir, he
alleged.
The chief of an Islamic militant group has, meanwhile, said the US
appeared to be working towards an independent Kashmir, which was a
dangerous proposition for Pakistan. Jamiat Ulema Islam (JUI) chief
Maulana Fazlur Rehman told NNI that an independent Kashmir would not
be in Pakistan's interest and "will only complete the American
influence in South Asia."
The JUI leader claimed Mr Sharif lost the Kargil battle at Blair House
in Washington, where he met Mr Clinton on July 4. "Pakistan has been
isolated and the international media is portraying it as an aggressive
country. This is a clear failure of foreign policy," he said.
Mr Rehman claimed the world has turned its anger on Pakistan "because
our rulers are too compromising, buckling under American pressure,
which has embarrassed Pakistan on the world stage. Are we
internationalising the Kashmir issue by retreating?"
He rejected Mr Sharif's assertion that the Kashmir issue has been
highlighted through his US visit.
"It is the Kargil issue, not Kashmir, that has been highlighted," he
said.
The JUI leader claimed the US would never mediate in the Kashmir
issue.
"US mediation on Kashmir is fallacy," he said. Mr Rehman said Mr
Sharif should tell the nation in clear terms what he has given away at
Blair House.
"He has given away the victories of the 'freedom fighters' and their
blood. Asking the 'freedom fighters' to vacate Kargil is nothing
short of treason. History will never forgive Nawaz Sharif," he said.
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