No matter how much progress Pakistan, India make in improving relations, spectre of 26/11 will hang over the countries PHOTO: AFP/FILE
No matter how much progress Pakistan and India make in improving relations — a visa agreement here, a cricket tour there — the spectre of 26/11 will always hang over the two countries. As long as Hafiz Saeed is roaming free and the Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) is allowed to operate, India will continue to mistrust us. That much was made clear recently by Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, who declared Pakistan’s response to the 26/11 attacks unsatisfactory. Matters weren’t helped by Interior Minister Rehman Malik, who once again placed his foot firmly in his mouth and declared there wasn’t all that much difference between the Mumbai attacks and the destruction of the Babri mosque. He also claimed that a Lashkar-e-Taiba militant, Abu Jandal, had worked for Indian intelligence, thereby reviving the canard that a foreign country, usually referring to one of the US, India or Israel, is behind the Taliban and its affiliates.
To smooth things over with India, the one obvious step the government needs to take is to stop indulging in conspiracy theorising. Once this basic criterion is met, we should move forward on a long overdue mission to finally declare the JuD a terrorist organisation, seize its money and track down its donors and operatives. The half-hearted attempt to hold Saeed under house arrest after the Mumbai attacks seemed to be a public relations ploy and not a serious attempt to hold accountable the mastermind of the attacks.
India, for its part, should not let its concerns over terrorism completely derail the peace process. Increased trade, for example, is mutually beneficial, quite apart from the normalisation in relations that it represents. Allowing blinkered generals in Pakistan and the religious right in India from scuttling these deals for the sake of patriotic fervour would represent a grave setback. The civilian government here should finally grant India most-favoured nation status so that we can demonstrate our commitment to peace. We may not be able to bury 26/11 forever but we can certainly try to dull its impact through goodwill gestures and continued contact.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 8th, 2013.
COMMENTS (14)
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Matters are not being helped when Pakistan continues to act in bad faith on promises it solemnly makes. Pakistan told India that all the dossiers it provided pertaining to 26/11 were put up to Pakistani judiciary which rejected those. Rahman Malik even handed over those opinions of his judiciary to Government of India. Turned out on examination by the Indian Home ministry that none of those pronouncements had any link with 26/11; they pertained to Pakistan's own cases against Hafiz Sayyed. Every one of your emissaries had been promising the naive ManMohana that action was being taken and that he should not delay his visit to Pakistan. Lucky for him that he did not run the fool's errand. Imagine if Pakistani perfidy had come after he had made the visit he was literally dying to make, how blood-red his face would have been. We have to hand it to Pakistan that it took ManMohana on a right royal ride just like it took the US. For all his foolishness, even his enthusiasm for a Pakistan visit must have cooled down by quite a few notches. If he abandons the idea, he probably still has some self-respect left in him! It may be a little hard to believe, though!
Let us all sit back and watch Hafiz Saeed trying to take over Pakistan's military and Pakistan itself, at least sections of it. Pakistan was so proud of the talibans once that they were worshiped and glorified by the media, military and most just two years ago. Even today, you will see comments that Pakistan defeated a super power and take credit for the acts of mujahiddins and USA although Pakistan's army just provided support and did not fight. When the same talibans asked a convoy of 120 well armed Pakistan army men to surrender, they surrendered without firing a single shot. The army was taught that the talibans are the true islamic warriors, they cannot be defeated, they are fighting islamic cause........... etc. etc. So, the army was confused and terrified at the sight of these talibans and surrendered. Again the talibans displayed 17 severed heads of pakistani soldiers and said more heads are on their way. The Army was terrified even to issue a threat or warning to the talibans. Once again the talibans captured over 20 soldiers and killed them brutally. The army kept on shivering in silence. Every time, the army has surrendered without fighting back. Their own HQ, naval and air bases were attacked, billion dollar Orion aircrafts were destroyed and the army could not retaliate. As Nijam Seti said last week, Talibans are part of Al Quaida and all factions of talibans are essentially the same. Two years ago Talibans were glorified by the media and supported by all in Pakistan. When US announced its withdrawal in 2014, media anchors were full of smile on their faces and predicted that Pakistan shall control Afghanistan through the talibans. Today, when the same talibans kill Pakistan soldiers, the world does not feel any sympathy. I have not seen any other country, even China or Afghanistan expressing any sympathy for the Pakistani soldiers.
As for those who are claiming that US and India does not have proof, both countries have evidences which if probed can become proof. Evidences become proof when confirmed. As this editorial itself confirms, Pakistan does not even want to look at or probe these evidences. In fact Pakistan has both evidences and proofs. Its own army has confirmed existences of terror training camps in Pakistan and control room from where the Mumbai terror attacks were coordinated. The US by announcing reward is looking for confirmation of the evidences. Additionally, such rewards would restrict Hafiz Saeed in his further terror activities and also confine him within Pakistan itself. When he is not able to move out and not carry out anything against India he shall get frustrated and shall start attacking Pakistan and cause mayhem within Pakistan itself. He is already doing it through DPC, retired generals and sectarian parties. Retired generals have already shown their powers during the recent Asghar Khan case. Mirza Aslam Beg issued open threats to Pakistan's Parliament and Judiciary in live TV and said "let me see what these Parliamentarians could do to me". No one could do anything to him. The outside world will only sit back and enjoy. Hafiz Saeed has his hold on sections of the army and spin stories will only strengthen him and ultimately end up in a revolt within the army.
@What: An Indian agent wont be able to take refuge in Saudi Arabia on an officially issued (not forged) pakistani passport. What do you say to that What?
India does not have any evidence against Hafiz Saeed, otherwise CIA would NOT be asking for "INFORMATION LEADING TO HIS ARREST" and offering 10 million dollars.
I will just reverse what you said and see it makes perfect sense:
@ Dr. Bhutani
"This kind of anti-Pakistanism can only be explanation of a sense of insecurity and lack of confidence in India in itself as a State, although no one anywhere in the wide world is conspiring to obliterate India – certainly not the Pakistan, China, or Maoists. But India, especially its military, needs external threat as justification for an inordinate share of resources which they have had in all the years since the birth of India. Persistence with anti-Pakistanism or anti-any-other-ism cannot contribute to the strengthening or stabilization of India as a State. To be a responsible member of the world community, India needs to behave like a responsible State and attend to governance and development for the good of the people."
Once again great work done by tribune by Endia's point of view. Keep doing Endians and Tribunians, we will keep doing ours.
@ Raj
DO you have evidence against Hafiz Saeed? If yes, then pls give it to CIA, you can become a hero for your people and get 10 million dollars as bounty. As even the CIA is looking for "information" which can lead to his arrest.
If you don't have any evidence, then go and do what Indians do best: Defecate on the roadside like 800 million of your countrymen!!
In addition to what I have said above, US suspects Hafiz Saeed to have close links with Al Quaida. Nijam Sethi in a recent TV show disclosed that one of the condition TTP has laid down for talks with Pakistan is that Al Quaida should be included in the negotiations. Still Pakistan army continues to protect Hafiz Saeed. It is hard to understand Pakistan Army's thinking. It is OK for them to lose both eyes, so long as the enemy (India) is partially blinded. This would explain why they gifted parts of Kashmir region to China.
If only anyone in Pakistan could calculate the various costs it has incurred and continues to incur by protecting Hafiz Saeed and other terror groups it would be astonishing. These costs include costs to its economy, losses of human lives, loss of reputation internationally, etc. Sectarian violences and separatist movements in Pakistan have its origins from its own promotion of terrorism in India and elsewhere. India has suffered due to these terror activities sponsored by Pakistan but Pakistan has suffered much more. Pakistanis should jog their memory and look back to the period when Musharraf took over and Clinton very reluctantly visited Pakistan after much persuasion by China. Hafiz Saeed shall one day attack the Pakistan army itself. He is trying very hard to become a force to recon with through DPC and some retired generals. Just three years ago, Talibans were being glorified by the media and regarded by many in Pakistan. Today they are attacking Pakistan.
Pages and pages of preaching pakistani govt and establishment by ET and other well intended newspapers are not going to work till the army changes its doctrine and hate curriculam is revised in pakistani schools. Otherwise such preachings like this article will continue to come from liberals and appreciated by their followers in Pakistan which are a miniscule. One correction. Religious right has no power in Indian politics. It is the antipakistan rightwing irrespective of their religious affiliation, is what ET means I guess. They have a point that Pakistan is complicit in its Indian misadventures and the whole world agrees to it. What is Pak going to do to correct its course and be seen as correcting its course. If the answer is zilch, it is a waster of time.
@What: If you recall, Pakistan spent endless hours trying to convince Saudi Arabian authorities not to extradite Abu Jundal (along with his Pakistani passport) to India to face terrorism charges! Please tell us why Pakistan would have bothered about sending a so called "Indian agent" home?
I appreciate The Express Tribune for this editorial which is going to be applauded in India for its candid acknowledgement of Hafiz Saeed as the mastermind of Mumbai 26/11 and his ‘token’ house arrest for some time. All the other things mentioned in the editorial are wholly in order and greatly to be appreciated. However, MFN and even bringing Hafiz Saeed to justice shall still be tokenism because the Indian perception is that in Pakistan there is a widespread substratum of anti-Indianism with which Pakistan’s successive governments, both civilian and military, have regaled the people of Pakistan. This kind of anti-Indianism can only be explanation of a sense of insecurity and lack of confidence in Pakistan in itself as a State, although no one anywhere in the wide world is conspiring to obliterate Pakistan – certainly not the US, Israel, or India. But Pakistan, especially its military, needs external threat as justification for an inordinate share of resources which they have had in all the years since the birth of Pakistan. Persistence with anti-Indianism or anti-any-other-ism cannot contribute to the strengthening or stabilization of Pakistan as a State. To be a responsible member of the world community, Pakistan needs to behave like a responsible State and attend to governance and development for the good of the people. Pakistan needs to grow out of its mentality as a State living perpetually in denial, accusing foreign hand of conspiracy. V. C. Bhutani, Delhi, India, 8 Jan 2013, 0425 IST
So if Pakistan says Abu Jundal worked for indian intelligence then its a conspiracy theory and if india says Abu Jundal worked for Pakistani intelligence then that is gospel truth. Way to go Endian Tribune.
Failed state lecturing India. The only thing India should do is to build a Great wall between India and failed state pakistan after bring in all the Pakistani Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains.