Author: PTI
Publication: Hindustan Times
Date: February 24, 2001
PAKISTAN HAS said it considered
Kashmir as its "unfinished agenda" and that Islamabad wanted jehad (holy
war) in Kashmir to continue.
"We respect jehadi outfits and we
never called for giving up jehad in Kashmir," Pakistan's interior minister
Moinuddin Haider said in a face-to-face meeting with leaders of various
Pakistan-based militant organisations.
"We do say that what is going on
in Kashmir is indigenous jehad and not terrorism," Urdu daily Jang, which
organised the meeting, said in its report.
He said Islamabad considers Kashmir
as an unfinished agenda of Pakistan and it would not backtrack on the issue.
The minister said whatever he was
saying was not his individual thoughts but the policy of the present Pakistani
government.
On his threats to ban open display
of arms and public collection of funds by jehadi groups, Haider said "if
any individual or outfit refuses to abide by the laws, stern action would
be taken."
He said the ban would be for all
outfits particularly the sectarian groups.
Haider's comments came when the
militant leaders said that the Pakistan government should not have "apologetic
attitude" over helping the militants.
"We do get military aid from Pakistan
but instead of admitting it, apologetic attitude is being adopted in this
regard, which gives a negative impact," Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin
said.
He said: "If the State (Pakistan)
would not fulfil its responsibilities, people would take power in their
hands."
The Hizb chief said military pressure
on India should be intensified as militants had already rejected the ceasefire
announced by the Indian government in Jammu and Kashmir.
"Ceasefire might be a step towards
the resolution of the Kashmir issue but not a cure for the disease," he
said.
Salahuddin and other militant leaders
told Haider that they were ready to cooperate with the military regime
on issues relating to Pakistan's security, provided the Musharraf government
acknowledged that it was their suicide attacks that made India to declare
ceasefire in Kashmir, the report said.
