Ghareebah
Bint Abdulkadir
:salam2:
India No Threat, Terrorist Kashmiris: Zardari
ISLAMABAD — Pakistani President Asif Zardari has signaled a dramatic departure from his country's decades-old policies on neighboring India and the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir.
"India has never been a threat to Pakistan," Zardari said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.
"I, for one, and our democratic government is not scared of Indian influence abroad."
Zardari's views run counter to that of Pakistan's consecutive governments and presidents as well as its powerful military establishment seeing the nuclear-armed neighbor as an existential threat.
Pakistan and India have been arch rivals since the partition of the Indian sub-continent in 1947.
The two countries fought three wars since their independence in 1947.
Zardari, who came to power in September after the new civilian government ousted President Pervez Musharraf, said he has no objection to a controversial India-US civilian nuclear cooperation pact.
"Why would we begrudge the largest democracy in the world getting friendly with one of the oldest democracies in the world?
The pact offers India access to sophisticated US technology and cheap atomic energy in return for New Delhi allowing UN inspections of some of its civilian nuclear facilities.
Washington has ruled out an India-like nuclear deal with Pakistan for now.
"Terrorists"
Zardari also described Kashmiris fighting Indian rule in disputed Kashmir as "terrorists".[/COLOR]
This is the first time a Pakistani leader describes Kashmiri fighters as "terrorists".
In his last press conference, Musharraf had termed the Kashmiris as "freedom fighters", saying Pakistan will continue "moral and diplomatic" support to their cause.
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.
This was not the first time Zardari made controversial statements over Kashmir.
In March, he said Pakistani-Indian relations should not be held "hostage" to the Kashmiri issue, which should be left for future generations to decide.
Welcomed Missiles
Zardari acknowledged that US missile strikes into Pakistan's tribal area were carried out with Islamabad's consent.
"We have an understanding, in the sense that we're going after an enemy together," he said. :astag:
US forces have carried out in the past month eight missile strikes inside Pakistan tribal areas by pilotless drones.
The Pakistani government has earlier protested such attacks as violation of its territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Zardari's comments come just days after he told the UN General Assembly that Pakistan "cannot allow our territory and our sovereignty to be violated by our friends."
now whose worse, musharaf or zardari? are we still in the mood of celebration for the departure of musharaf? when people are not patient with their rulers, they only get worse. :tti_sister:
India No Threat, Terrorist Kashmiris: Zardari
ISLAMABAD — Pakistani President Asif Zardari has signaled a dramatic departure from his country's decades-old policies on neighboring India and the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir.
"India has never been a threat to Pakistan," Zardari said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.
"I, for one, and our democratic government is not scared of Indian influence abroad."
Zardari's views run counter to that of Pakistan's consecutive governments and presidents as well as its powerful military establishment seeing the nuclear-armed neighbor as an existential threat.
Pakistan and India have been arch rivals since the partition of the Indian sub-continent in 1947.
The two countries fought three wars since their independence in 1947.
Zardari, who came to power in September after the new civilian government ousted President Pervez Musharraf, said he has no objection to a controversial India-US civilian nuclear cooperation pact.
"Why would we begrudge the largest democracy in the world getting friendly with one of the oldest democracies in the world?
The pact offers India access to sophisticated US technology and cheap atomic energy in return for New Delhi allowing UN inspections of some of its civilian nuclear facilities.
Washington has ruled out an India-like nuclear deal with Pakistan for now.
"Terrorists"
Zardari also described Kashmiris fighting Indian rule in disputed Kashmir as "terrorists".[/COLOR]
This is the first time a Pakistani leader describes Kashmiri fighters as "terrorists".
In his last press conference, Musharraf had termed the Kashmiris as "freedom fighters", saying Pakistan will continue "moral and diplomatic" support to their cause.
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.
This was not the first time Zardari made controversial statements over Kashmir.
In March, he said Pakistani-Indian relations should not be held "hostage" to the Kashmiri issue, which should be left for future generations to decide.
Welcomed Missiles
Zardari acknowledged that US missile strikes into Pakistan's tribal area were carried out with Islamabad's consent.
"We have an understanding, in the sense that we're going after an enemy together," he said. :astag:
US forces have carried out in the past month eight missile strikes inside Pakistan tribal areas by pilotless drones.
The Pakistani government has earlier protested such attacks as violation of its territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Zardari's comments come just days after he told the UN General Assembly that Pakistan "cannot allow our territory and our sovereignty to be violated by our friends."
now whose worse, musharaf or zardari? are we still in the mood of celebration for the departure of musharaf? when people are not patient with their rulers, they only get worse. :tti_sister: