Author: MN Buch
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: March 17, 2009
URL: http://www.dailypioneer.com/162922/A-Pakistani-red-herring.html
It is curious that just as the world had cornered
Pakistan over the 26/11 Mumbai attack, Islamabad began to play the Taliban
card. Obviously, the purpose is to divert attention from the core issue of
Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism. This diversionary tactic should
be ignored by all
On November 26, 2008, a group of terrorists
originating in Pakistan created absolute havoc in Mumbai, during the course
of which at least 177 people died, many were injured and the was city held
to ransom for almost three days. We had to deploy the local police, Army,
Navy and NSG commandos before all the terrorists were accounted for and normalcy
restored. Fourteen policemen and two commandos were killed. One terrorist
was arrested because a heroic member of the Maharashtra Police caught hold
of him despite himself being fatally wounded.
Pakistan, of course, as usual, denied any
knowledge of participation in the attack, even going to the extent of saying
that the arrested terrorist was not a Pakistani. However, sustained interrogation
of the terrorist by the Indian authorities, the FBI, British and Israeli intelligence
agencies unravelled the conspiracy and eventually Islamabad had to acknowledge
that the attack originated in Pakistan and the conspiracy was hatched in that
country. FIRs have been registered in Pakistan and some sort of investigation
is under way.
However, the country has steadfastly refused
to extradite to India the persons who are suspected of participating in the
26/11 attack or are masterminds of such terrorist activity on a consistent
basis. Of course, the US has been pressuring Pakistan to bring the perpetrators
of this crime to justice, but it is obvious that Pakistan is dragging its
feet.
Pakistan's state agencies, such as the ISI
and the Army, have actively encouraged and, in fact, have set up organisations
whose sole objective is to destabilise neighbouring countries, particularly
India and Afghanistan. These organisations are supported by various groups
such as LeT, JuD, HuJI, etc, and many of them have been banned by the US.
The overt involvement of the Pakistani Government and its covert approval
of terrorist operations against India are well documented.
Neither Washington nor London has ever positively
responded to our complaints that Pakistan has been subjecting us to a low
intensity conflict, the objective of which is to destabilise the Indian state.
It took the death of 46 foreigners, including British and American citizens,
to convince these countries that India is a victim of Pakistan-conspired terrorism
and that Pakistan must be forced to bring the terrorists to book. It is under
the sustained pressure from the Western countries that Pakistan had to admit
that Ajmal Amir Kasab is a Pakistani national and that the conspiracy against
India was planned in Pakistan.
Almost coinciding with Pakistan's admission
three events occurred. The first was a statement by the Pakistani President,
Mr Asif Ali Zardari, that Pakistan was in grave danger of being over-run by
the Taliban. The second was a statement by Gen Pervez Musharraf that there
was a conspiracy to run down and blame the Pakistan Army and the ISI as the
fountainheads of terrorism. He said that these institutions and instruments
of the state would result in the Taliban and Al Qaeda taking over the country.
The third event was a statement by Mr Richard Holbrooke, the American special
envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan. Speaking in New Delhi, he said that the
Taliban was a threat equally to India, Pakistan and the US and must be faced
jointly.
How does one interpret these statements? The
Pakistanis have been crying themselves hoarse that they are a victim of terrorism
and that India instead of pressurising Pakistan after the 26/11 attack should
extend cooperation in tackling the Taliban. As proof they pointed out that
in the Swat Valley the Pakistani Government has had to make a compromise with
the Taliban, which is virtually surrendering to extremism. The red herring
drawn by the Pakistanis across the terrorist trail is that if India insists
on action by Pakistan against the perpetrators of 26/11, then the Pakistani
Government will become weak, the Taliban will take over Pakistan and India
will have to face an implacable enemy.
Let us take the specific case of the Swat
Valley. This is a part of the Provincially-Administered Tribal Area of NWFP,
watered by the Swat river, which joins the Kabul River near Charsadda and
the Indus at Attock. The easternmost part of northern NWFP consists of Buner,
the western portion is Swat and the central portion of which goes up to the
Afghanistan border is Mohmand, Bajawar and Jandol. The eastern part of this
region is the Mahabun Hills, which became the stronghold of the extreme Wahabi
Hindustani Fanatics whose origin lay in Patna. The British mounted a number
of expeditions to eliminate the fanatics and in this process came into open
conflict with people of Swat and Buner. 1858, 1871,1881, 1888 and 1891 were
crucial years and in 1897 Mullah Sadullah raised the banner of revolt in the
Swat Valley. The British raised the Malakand Field Force in order to restore
peace in this region. Simultaneously, the Tirah Expeditionary Force was launched
into the southern part of NWFP bordering the Safed Koh Mountains in Afghanistan.
This was the first force to fully penetrate into and dominate Tirah. Almost
every year, especially in 1919, this entire region, including Swat, was in
turmoil and the British had to intervene from time to time with force. Unrest
in this region, therefore, is not a new phenomenon, nor do compromises there
indicate that Pakistan has surrendered to the extremists and that the Taliban
is about to take over the whole country.
India and its friends must firmly reject any
suggestion of Pakistan that 26/11 should be linked with events in Swat and
Waziristan. Pakistan cannot be let off the hook under the excuse that this
would encourage the Taliban. If it does, so what? It matters little to us
whether Mr Zardari rules Pakistan, or Gen Musharraf, or the Taliban. Every
Pakistani regime has encouraged anti-Indian activities and we have been able
to neutralise most of them. If the Taliban comes to power we can neutralise
them also, so why should we help Pakistan to keep them at bay? Our message
to Pakistan has to be loud and clear: Keep your extremist elements under control,
ensure that they do not launch attacks against India from Pakistan territory
and bring to book to the perpetrators of 26/11. As for the rest, that is internal
affair of Pakistan and if it weakens that country and its Government, that
is no skin off our nose.
