PAKISTAN want to keep alive the tension with India, with an object to keep the Pakistani public focuses on India specific problems and divert attention from the serious internal problems of Pakistan—democracy, ethnic revolts in Balawaristan and Baluchistan, sectarian terrorism. The military also whips up Islamist and chauvinist passions as part of this exercise.
Pakistan’s military leadership has managed Islamist terrorism, by calibrating it to serve its interest remaining careful that it does not destabilize internal politics or relations with western countries. Was July 11, Mumbai bombing as act which went haywire?
Musharraf has been playing a calculated game. He had been having problems with democratic parties of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif. To prevent them from coming back to power in the general elections due in 2007. Musharraf has been actively courting fundamentalists and jehadi terrorist organisation. This March he asked his intelligence agencies not to take any action against Siphah-e-Sahaba and LeT, which officially stand banned. He had adopted a similar policy in October 2002, which helped rabidly fundamentalist parties to come to power in NWFP and Baluchistan. The two governments had been openly assisting the remnants of Taliban and Al Qaeda operation from the tribal area. To keep jehadist elements in good humour Musharraf has gone all out to support Taliban. He recently appointed a pro-Taliban General as Governor of Baluchistan.
Musharraf may have differences with some sections in army. These differences are only tactical and factional. Musharraf has used this to argue that the jehadis were out of his control. This he is doing to project himself as a moderate Islamism to lobby US support and also to escape responsibility for escalation of terrorist violence against India.
Mumbai serial blasts are a well-planned, calibrated escalation of violence by Musharraf. His experience of 93’ blasts in Mumbai attack on Indian Parliament and the Kargil adventure makes him believe that through deliberate escalation of violence he can wrest strategic concessions. Musharraf’s strategy is that escalation of violence, particularly a major incident, would build up India-Pakistan tension. Then he could sell ‘Kashmir as a flashpoint’ argument to seek US intervention to build pressure on India and recast peace process in a way that helps Pakistan wrest strategic concessions from India. Through earlier major acts of escalation Musharraf succeeded in objectives like—porous borders, diluting the pro-Indian commitment of a section of mainstream Kashmiri leaders, discussion on issue of de-militarisation and sovereignty over Kashmir.
Israel has demonstrated national will, clear agenda and zero tolerance. With each act of escalation it puts a higher price for jehad.In our case acts of escalation have been followed up by even greater appeasement of the forces inimical to India.
Though India has lost two Prime Ministers—Indira and Rajiv Gandhi—due to terrorism and more soldiers and civilians in this cold war. A peace process with India is a win-win game for Pakistan. It helps him to pursue crossborder terrorism with no fear of counter retaliation, wrest strategic concessions on Kashmir inducing complacency among Indians and keeping US on his right side. In his view the present Indian stridency is a passing phase aimed at to deflect the national outrage. He believes the elements in Indian media, civil society and political parties would become assertive again once the national anger subsides and start pressurising the UPA government to restart the peace process. It may be recalled that on June 30 this year he had harangued that he might revert to the demand of third party intervention if his proposals of demilitarization and self-governance in the region were not considered positively to resolve the Kashmir issue.
Believe it or not, the sex-scandal in Kashmir is supposed to a drama enacted by Pakistan just to divert the attention and to pressurize his demand to draw army from the Kashmir so that it may smuggle more terrorists in India.
Pakistan’s military leadership has managed Islamist terrorism, by calibrating it to serve its interest remaining careful that it does not destabilize internal politics or relations with western countries. Was July 11, Mumbai bombing as act which went haywire?
Musharraf has been playing a calculated game. He had been having problems with democratic parties of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif. To prevent them from coming back to power in the general elections due in 2007. Musharraf has been actively courting fundamentalists and jehadi terrorist organisation. This March he asked his intelligence agencies not to take any action against Siphah-e-Sahaba and LeT, which officially stand banned. He had adopted a similar policy in October 2002, which helped rabidly fundamentalist parties to come to power in NWFP and Baluchistan. The two governments had been openly assisting the remnants of Taliban and Al Qaeda operation from the tribal area. To keep jehadist elements in good humour Musharraf has gone all out to support Taliban. He recently appointed a pro-Taliban General as Governor of Baluchistan.
Musharraf may have differences with some sections in army. These differences are only tactical and factional. Musharraf has used this to argue that the jehadis were out of his control. This he is doing to project himself as a moderate Islamism to lobby US support and also to escape responsibility for escalation of terrorist violence against India.
Mumbai serial blasts are a well-planned, calibrated escalation of violence by Musharraf. His experience of 93’ blasts in Mumbai attack on Indian Parliament and the Kargil adventure makes him believe that through deliberate escalation of violence he can wrest strategic concessions. Musharraf’s strategy is that escalation of violence, particularly a major incident, would build up India-Pakistan tension. Then he could sell ‘Kashmir as a flashpoint’ argument to seek US intervention to build pressure on India and recast peace process in a way that helps Pakistan wrest strategic concessions from India. Through earlier major acts of escalation Musharraf succeeded in objectives like—porous borders, diluting the pro-Indian commitment of a section of mainstream Kashmiri leaders, discussion on issue of de-militarisation and sovereignty over Kashmir.
Israel has demonstrated national will, clear agenda and zero tolerance. With each act of escalation it puts a higher price for jehad.In our case acts of escalation have been followed up by even greater appeasement of the forces inimical to India.
Though India has lost two Prime Ministers—Indira and Rajiv Gandhi—due to terrorism and more soldiers and civilians in this cold war. A peace process with India is a win-win game for Pakistan. It helps him to pursue crossborder terrorism with no fear of counter retaliation, wrest strategic concessions on Kashmir inducing complacency among Indians and keeping US on his right side. In his view the present Indian stridency is a passing phase aimed at to deflect the national outrage. He believes the elements in Indian media, civil society and political parties would become assertive again once the national anger subsides and start pressurising the UPA government to restart the peace process. It may be recalled that on June 30 this year he had harangued that he might revert to the demand of third party intervention if his proposals of demilitarization and self-governance in the region were not considered positively to resolve the Kashmir issue.
Believe it or not, the sex-scandal in Kashmir is supposed to a drama enacted by Pakistan just to divert the attention and to pressurize his demand to draw army from the Kashmir so that it may smuggle more terrorists in India.
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