Pakistan President Zardari’s critical comment on Jammu and Kashmir militants as ‘terrorists’ in a recent interview to Wall Street Journal seems to have caught him in dilemma. His remark has drawn criticism from his own country men. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has taken a stern stance against these remarks saying that his party will raise the issue in Parliament.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s meeting with Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari in New York on September 24 has started bearing its fruits as for the first time in the history of Pakistan, any top leader has gone out of conventional clout and made a public statement that “militants operating in Jammu and Kashmir are terrorists” and “India is a friend to his country, not a threat.”
India, on Sunday, welcomed Pakistan President’s remarks and expressed hope that President Zardari and Pakistan would honour the words with action in combating terrorism.
Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma welcoming Zardari’s remark, which is in stark contrast to its earlier position of dubbing them “jehadis”, said “President Zardari and Pakistan should honour its words with action in curbing terrorism.”
Zardari’s remark on Jammu and Kashmir militants as “terrorists” is a noteworthy and breach of the past. So far, leaders in Pakistan have been dubbing militants operating in Kashmir as jehadis (freedom fighters); even Zardari’s predecessor Pervez Musharraf, in whose terms peace negotiations between India and Pakistan started, most often called them “freedom fighters.”
He also said that India had never been a threat to his country. Pakistan has no problem in growing relationship between the world’s largest democracies with the world’s oldest democracy. Zardari also said that he had no objection to India-US nuclear cooperation, so long as Islamabad was treated on equal footings with New Delhi.
Zardari also advocated strong trade ties with India as it was difficult for his country’s economic survival without dealing in trade with India.
Statement made out from a top leader deserves weight, but making a statement is another thing and taking further action is completely different. India has witnessed not such but different kind of promise from the top seat in Pakistan in the past; but stabbed back later. On the one hand it should warmly welcome Pakistan’s approach, while on the other hand it needs to be careful and alert.
It also needs to keep in mind here that whether Pakistan’s current President Zardari holds significant power in real sense or is just a face of the nation.
|
|
Comments:
