Now Is The Time To Define Terrorism

It is for the first time that the chief of ISI, Pakistan's intelligence agency has accepted the truth that terrorism is the enemy of Pakistan not India. There was a time when the OpEdNews was hinting at this fact that Pakistan has been facing the threat of terrorism. At that time no heed was given to all the pleas of saner people. But now the rulers have been accepting the fact. They have taken a long time in accepting this fact. They have misquided the whole world. Due to their wrong policies millions of people have been killed. They always acted like criminals. But they are still controlling the country. They are still ruling. President Bush has lost the election, but still the same establishment will be ruling the world. Now is the time that the rulers must define terrorism. According to my defination the rulers are the terrorists. Thousands of innocent people mostly women and children have been killed in the fighting in Bajaur Agency, but still the same people have been ruling the areas.

THE ISI chief, Lt-Gen Ahmad Shuja Pasha, was willing to travel to New Delhi after Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani accepted a request by his Indian counterpart following the attacks in Mumbai on Nov 26, the general himself told the Der Spiegel in an interview carried by the German magazine in its latest issue.

But the general, without revealing the reasons for not doing so, remarked: "Many people here are simply not ready."

The head of the Inter-Services Intelligence brushed aside talk of a war between Pakistan and India. "There will not be a war," he said confidently. "We are distancing ourselves from conflict with India, both now and in general."

He said Pakistan had braced itself for a "military reaction" after the Mumbai tragedy. "At first we thought there would be a military reaction. The Indians, after the attacks, were deeply offended and furious, but they are also clever," Lt-Gen Pasha said.

The general, in an attempt to allay misgivings in the West about Pakistan, emphasised: "We may be crazy in Pakistan, but not completely out of our minds. We know full well that terror is our enemy, not India."

Gen Pasha told the magazine many questions were swirling in his mind about the Mumbai aftermath. So far, he said, the Indians had failed to prove that Pakistani groups sponsored by the ISI were behind the attacks.

"They have given us nothing, no numbers, no connections, no names. This is regrettable." According to the interviewer, the ISI chief switched back and forth between English and his "surprisingly accent-free German."

He lived in Germany for a few years in the 1980s, taking part in officer training programmes.

In reply to a question about the longevity of the present government, Lt-Gen Pasha said the transition to civilian rule must succeed.

"It is completely clear to the army chief and me that this government must succeed. Otherwise we will have a lot of problems in this country," he said in a solemn tone.

"The result would be problems in the West and the East, political destabilisation and trouble with America," he warned. "Anyone who does not support this democratic government today simply does not understand the current situation."

And then, giving an innocuous yet significant information, he adds: "I report regularly to the president and take orders from him."

Gen Pasha told the magazine he wanted to re-establish the ISI's credibility.

The interviewer was keen to know how much control does Gen Pasha have over the organisation.

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Muhammad Khurshid, a resident of Bajaur Agency, tribal areas situated on Pak-Afghan border is journalist by profession. He contributes articles and news stories to various online and print newspapers. His subject matter is terrorism. He is also (more...)
 

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