Author: B. Muralidhar Reddy
Publication: The Hindu
Date: February 7, 2001
The Pakistan Chief Executive, Gen.
Pervez Musharraf, might have been sober in his speech at Muzaffarabad
on the occasion of `Kashmir Solidarity Day' on Monday but militant
organisations had a free run in their anti-India tirade.
Reports in the Pakistani media today
suggested that the anti- India rhetoric of the militant organisations
reached a new pitch with religious leaders threatening to launch
a `jehad' (holy war) not just to liberate Kashmir but also take
back all areas ruled by Muslims before independence.
The Jaish-e-Mohammad chief, Maulana
Masood Azar, was quoted as saying that ``dead bodies will be
returned if the Indian cricket team visits Pakistan''. Maulana Azar,
who was among the three militants released by India in exchange
for the passengers of the hijacked Indian Airlines flight, said if
the Indian Government did not reconstruct the Babri Masjid by
March next, `mujahideen' (holy warriors) would construct it.
Several Lashkar-e-Taiba leaders
were reported to have addressed gatherings in different parts
of Pakistan and vowed to liberate Kashmir from the clutches of India.
A militant leader was quoted as saying that after liberating
Kashmir, the `mujahideen' would work towards making all Muslims majority
areas including Hyderabad, Junagarh and Maharashtra part of
Pakistan.
A Harkat leader was quoted as saying
that helping suppressed Muslims in any part of the world was
the duty of the `mujahideen' and they should not confine themselves
to moral and diplomatic support. The `holy warriors' would rest
only after liberation of all Muslims from India.
A Lashkar leader dubbed the Indian
ceasefire as a drama and said the `mujahideen' would never
hold talks as their hands had sufficient strength to hold guns. He
said if the Pakistan Government so desired, it could hold talks on
Kashmir but should refrain from creating any obstacles in the
path of `jehad' as India had changed its stance only because of this.
The Lashkar central leader, Mr.
Amiir Hamza, was quoted as saying that a war between Islam
and infidelity was on all over India. If India continued atrocities
in Kashmir, suicide attacks such as those on the Red Fort and the
Srinagar Airport would continue.
Mr. Hamza said that `jehad' had
been expanded to Delhi from Kupwara. Pakistan had become a
country of `mujahideen of Islam' and from now onwards the country
would be known as `jehadabad'. He was quoted as saying that any
political conspiracy on Kashmir would not be tolerated.
