Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari said in an interview that arch-enemy India had never been a threat to his country and that Islamic militant groups in Indian-controlled Kashmir were “terrorists.”
Zardari also indicated to the Wall Street Journal that there was an “understanding” with the US over US missile strikes on al-Qaeda and Taliban targets in Pakistan’s troubled tribal areas.
His views on India appear to run counter to that of Pakistan’s powerful military, which has regarded its nuclear-armed neighbor as an existential threat since the creation of the two countries after independence in 1947.
“India has never been a threat to Pakistan,” said Zardari, who as the widower of Benazir Bhutto came to power last month after the new civilian government ousted former president Pervez Musharraf.
Asked if he would consider a free-trade pact with India, he said: “I, for one, and our democratic government is not scared of Indian influence abroad.”
Majority-Hindu India and mainly Muslim Pakistan launched a peace process in 2004 but relations between the two nations remain tense amid accusations that Islamabad’s powerful intelligence agencies are sponsoring Islamic militancy.
The paper however said that Zardari called Islamic militants operating in Kashmir “terrorists” during the interview, apparently the first time that any Pakistani leader has referred to them as such.
A senior Indian official reportedly welcomed Zarari’s comments.
“Zardari’s statement is a welcome step. President Zardari and Pakistan should honour the words with action in curbing terrorism,” the Press Trust of India quoted Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma as saying.
The row over Kashmir has sparked two of the three major wars between India and Pakistan, as well as a short conflict in 1999 and a major military build-up on the border in 2002.
India has long accused Pakistan of sponsoring an 18-year-old Islamist insurgency in the part of the divided Himalayan territory of Kashmir that is controlled by New Delhi.
Pakistan denies the claim but has often spoken in support of those fighting for what it calls the right to self-determination in Kashmir, while state television runs daily segments on alleged Indian atrocities in the region.
Sharma said Zardari’s description of Kashmiri militants as terrorists was “made, perhaps, for the first time by a top Pakistani leader, which is in contrast with its earlier position of terming militants as jihadis [holy warriors].”
PLA MANEUVERS: Although Beijing has yet to formally announce military drills, its coast guard vessels have been spotted near and around Taiwan since Friday The Taiwanese military is on high alert and is closely monitoring the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) air and naval deployments after Beijing yesterday reserved seven airspace areas east of its Zhejiang and Fujian provinces through Wednesday. Beijing’s action was perceived as a precursor to a potential third “Joint Sword” military exercise, which national security experts said the PLA could launch following President William Lai’s (賴清德) state visits to the nation’s three Pacific allies and stopovers in Hawaii and Guam last week. Unlike the Joint Sword military exercises in May and October, when Beijing provided detailed information about the affected areas, it
CHINA: The activities come amid speculation that Beijing might launch military exercises in response to Lai’s recent visit to Pacific allies The Ministry of National Defense (MND) yesterday said China had nearly doubled the number of its warships operating around the nation in the previous 24 hours, ahead of what security sources expect would be a new round of war games. China’s military activities come amid speculation Beijing might organize military drills around the nation in response to President William Lai’s (賴清德) recent visit to Pacific allies, including stops in Hawaii and Guam, a US territory. Lai returned from the week-long trip on Friday night. Beijing has held two rounds of war games around Taiwan this year, and sends ships and military planes
Five flights have been arranged to help nearly 2,000 Taiwanese tourists return home from Okinawa after being stranded due to cruise ship maintenance issues, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications announced yesterday. China Airlines Ltd (中華航空), and EVA Airways Corp (長榮航空) have arranged five flights with a total of 748 additional seats to transport 1,857 passengers from the MSC Bellissima back to Taiwan, the ministry said. The flights have been scheduled for yesterday and today by the Civil Aviation Administration, with the cruise operator covering all associated costs. The MSC Bellissima, carrying 4,341 passengers, departed from Keelung on Wednesday last week for Okinawa,
US president-elect Donald Trump said he would “never say” if Washington is committed to defending Taiwan from China, but “I would prefer that they do not do it [ an attack],” adding that he has a “good relationship” with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). “I never say because I have to negotiate things, right?” Trump said in an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press host Kristen Welker after saying he would not reveal his incoming administration’s stance on Taiwan’s defense in the event of an attack. Asked the question again, Trump, in a reference to China, said: “I would prefer that they
RSS