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| Pak helpless against Saeed's antiindia fulminations | | | Islamabad has the knack of blowing hot and cold in the same breath.The other day the establishment in Pakistan played a good host to the Indian Foreign secr etary,Nirupama Rao and later to the Home Minister,P.C.Chidambaram who visited Islamabad.In fact after the two separate meetings the two sides reiterated their commitment on promoting cordial ties so that normalcy and peace returned to the subcontinent.During the last two years Delhi has been insisting on action against Chief of Jamaat-ud-Dawa,Hafiz Saeed,who is suspected to have masterminded the Mumbai terrorist strike.As part of its cosmetic exercise Pakistan had ordered action against Hafiz who was arrested.But within days he was released by the Court because the charges against him,filed by the Government,lacked substance.Delhi blamed Islamabad for not having prepared foolproof case against the Jamaat-ud-Dawa Chief and it showed no interest in filing an appeal against the court judgement.In fact
if the two sides have yet to succeed in reducing the level of trust deficit it is the result of Islamabad's procrastination on Indian's demand for strict action against the
perpetrators of the Mumbai carnage.As signs of improvement in the relations between India and Pakistan started getting clearer Islamabad dropped a new bomb that has the potential of prolonging the spell of mistrust and misunderstanding between the two sides.It has been in the shape of a brief statement from Pakistan's Foreign Minister,Shah Mehmood Qureshi.Qureshi has said that Pakistan was not in a position to bar the Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief,Hafiz Saeed from making anti-india speeches.In support of his argument Qureshi has cited freedom of expression as the main cause for the Government's inaction against Saeed.He has stated that there is freedom of expression in Pakistan as in India.There are all sorts of people with extremist views in both India and Pakistan and "there is nothing you can do about it."Shah Mehmood Qureshi would have been right had he referred to another extremist leader making anti-India speeches.But his reference to Hafiz Saeed is bound
to dismay Delhi and particularly the Foreign Minister,S.M.Krishna,who is scheduled to visit Islamabad on July 15 for a meeting with Qureshi.The stage has already been set for the meeting by the two foreign secretaries,Nirupama Rao,and Salman Bashir.Qureshi cannot claim immunity for Hafiz Saeed even if he emits all the venom against India.Well there are extremists in India who have been adopting anti-Pakistan postures but for doing this they are neither executed nor arrested nor tried in the court because freedom of expression forms an important clause of the constitution of India.Though such a fundamental right had been jeopardised in Pakistan on several occasions Qureshi is morally,politically and diplomatically wrong when he shows his inability in taking action against Hafiz for making anti-India speeches.Hafiz has been encouragd in doing so.He has added to his political weight by adopting furious anti-India postures and the establishment in
Islamabad is responsible for it.Had Pakistan Government initiated firm action against Hafiz on the basis of documentary evidence given to Islamabad by Delhi Hafiz would have ben tamed by now.Finding that the Zardari led Government continues to be soft towards him Hafiz and people like him in Pakistan would not only continue to make anti-India speeches but aid and support anti-India activities through militants who were being pushed into Jammu and Kashmir.Though on India's insistence seven people had been arrested in Pakistan on their suspected involvement in Mumbai terrorist strike no action has been taken because Islamabad has stated that the evidence against them was not sufficient.Hence one may not be wrong if one believes that Islamabad is not sincere in promoting cordial ties with Delhi.Possibly Pakistan Government believes that in adopting anti-India stance it could ensure its survival.But it is not aware of the fact that more than 80 per
cent
people in Pakistan favour friendly relations with India.(eom)
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