Pakistan Shocked by Zardari's Stances
By Aamir Latif, IOL Correspondent
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan's political and religious parties were shocked to the bones by the new foreign policy stances announced by newly-elected President Asif Ali Zardari on India, Kashmir and US strikes inside Pakistan.
"Nobody in Pakistan takes his words seriously," Raja Zafar-ul-Haq, the chairman of two-time former premier Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), told IslamOnline.net on Monday, October 6.
"His statements will not help Pakistan but rather increase our problems on the diplomatic front."
Zardari, elected the country's 12th president on September 6, has signaled a dramatic departure from Pakistan's decades-old policies on India and Kashmir.
He told the Wall Street Journal India has never been a threat to Pakistan and Kashmiris fighting Indian rule in the disputed Himalayan region are "terrorists".
"Kashmiris are being subjected to the worst type of state terrorism. They are not terrorists, but the victims of terrorism," insists Zafar-ul-Haq, the PML leader.
"They have the right to struggle for their freedom under UN charter."
Kashmir is divided into two parts and ruled by India and Pakistan, which have fought two of their three wars since the 1947 independence over the region.
Pakistan and the UN back the right of the Kashmir people for self-determination, an option opposed by New Delhi.
Zafar-ul-Haq also took issue with Zardari's claim that India has never posed a security threat to Pakistan.
"If India has never been a threat, then why Pakistan has developed its nuclear program?
"Everybody knows about that. Nobody will take this statement seriously."
New Musharraf
Asadullah Bhutto, a senior lawyer and deputy chief of the Jammat-e-Islami, Pakistan's largest religious party, does not see Zardari's disclosure about consenting to US strikes as something new.
"This is not a disclosure for us. We believe that there is only change of face in the president house," he told IOL.
"Instead of Musharraf now there is Zardari. If the Pakistani government had not allowed the US drones to trespass, they would never had the courage to enter and attack our areas," he insisted.
"This is highly dangerous for our security, if it is the case. Zardari must clarify his words otherwise we will be compelled to think that tomorrow the US can attack our nuclear assets too."
Bhutto believes Zardari has backtracked on the traditional stand of his party on Kashmir.
"The base of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's (the PPP founder and former premier) politics was Kashmir. And there is a national consensus on this issue. By declaring freedom fighters terrorists, Zardari has injured the feelings of the whole nation. He must reverse his words."
Professor Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, the chief of the outlawed Lashkar-e-Tayyeba group which is currently operating under the banner of Jammat-ul-Dawa, accuses the government of toeing the policies of ousted Musharraf.
"It is highly deplorable that the President of Pakistan declares (Kashmiri) freedom fighters terrorists. He must revert his words," he stressed.
"The people of Pakistan saw a glimmer of hope with the change of government, but they didn't know that the current government would be worst than the previous."
Saeed ridiculed Zardari's argument that India has never been a threat to Pakistan.
"India has been trying to turn Pakistan into a barren land by building dams on River Indus in contravention of the water agreements between the two countries and Mr Zardari says it's not a threat to us. How ironic?"
Saeed also took storing issue with Zardari's admission that US airstrikes inside Pakistan are done with Islamabad's consent.
"We had been blaming dictator Musharraf for allowing the US drones to kill our people, but he never admitted that. Now, Zardari's confession has proved that we ourselves are behind the killings of our own people," he fumed.
"Zardari must clarify his statement because it is the issue of country's sovereignty. If it is a realty, then our nuclear assets are in danger."
Damage Control
MP Farzana Raja, a leader of Zardari's ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), claims the president has never made such statements.
She insisted he has been "misquoted" by the Wall Street Journal.
"As far as Pakistan's consent to US attacks are concerned, this is totally untrue," Ms Raja told IOL.
"President Zardari has already made it clear in his address to a joint parliamentary session that we will never compromise on our sovereignty even in the name of combating terrorism.
"He repeated this stand during his visits to the US and UK various times. How can you expect such statement from a person like this who has taken a strong stand on this issue, and even convinced the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown," she said.
The PPP leader also insisted that Pakistan's decades-old stance on Kashmir remains the same.
"We always support the Kashmir issue on diplomatic and political fronts."
Asked whether her party considers the freedom struggle in Kashmir as a terrorist movement, she said: "We have always supported the freedom struggle. But simultaneously, wee never ever opted for militancy as a solution. President Zardari simply stated that militancy is not a solution whatsoever the problem."
Raja Zafar-ul-Haq, the PML leader, is ready to give Zardari the benefit of doubt.
"He (Zardari) seems to be so overwhelmed by the economic crisis in the country. He is going all out to overcome the crisis and in this desperate move he is trying to woo the international community by any means," he explained.
"We understand his conception and desperation but he should understand that such tactics won't work."
http://kavkazcenter.com/eng/content/...06/10225.shtml
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See also:
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Comments:
From 3-star traitor to a 5-star one!