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| Common ISI links in Kashmir, Punjab and Pak militancy | | | Early Times Special Correspondent
Jammu | Oct 20
Some negative developments taking place recently, within the country and in our neighbourhood have the reason to cause serious concern, on account of their apprehended fallout in Jammu and Kashmir. The blast that took place in a cinema hall in Ludhiana city of neighbouring Punjab, which as per the assessment of National Security Advisor R K Narayanan indicates the possibility of revival of a nexus between pro Khalistan and Kashmir secessionist terrorists, with their common link of having been master minded by the ISI, call for special alert in Jammu and Kashmir, where the two sets of ultras had close links in the last two decades. In the wake of pro Khalistan militancy being at its height in Punjab J&K and particularly Jammu too had to bear its negative impact. Besides some misguided Sikh youths from Jammu actively involved in the militancy in Punjab, various parts of Jammu had witnessed occasional outbursts of militancy, leading to some killings. Earlier the same had its impact in Kashmir valley as well. In fact the first phase of militancy in Kashmir in early 1980s was in support of and solidarity with the pro Khalistan militancy in Punjab. The slogans of Khalistan zindabad were accompanied with Pakistan zindabad in Srinagar, where one would also hear the slogans of "Muslim-Sikh bhai bhai---Hindu qoum kaha se aay".
In the wake of pro Khalistan militancy in Punjab spilling over to Jammu and Kashmir, some analysts had predicted the same, if not contained soon, would ultimately pave way for pro Pakistan or pro independence militancy in Kashmir. The inter links between the two sets of militancy, with their common string puller and sponsor, ISI and Pak establishment was always there. However, after the Punjab militancy was almost totally contained in early 1990s, the present Kashmiri militancy, which erupted in 1988-89 continued unabated and there were authentic report that some left over pro Khalistan militants had joined the ranks of Kashmiri militancy.
Still another negative development in our neighbouring country Pakistan, which has been the original source of militancy in Kashmir as well as earlier in Punjab, itself being now under the grip of terrorism, which again is alleged to be sponsored and abetted by ISI of Pakistan, about which the former Pak Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has openly charged. Although Mrs. Bhutto has absolved President Parvez Musharraf of any involvement in attack on her procession, taken out to accord her grand reception by her supporters on her home coming after eight years of exile, she has charged ISI and the supporters of a former Pak army ruler, Late Zia-ul-Haq in the army and Islamic Jehadis being behind the powerful blast that exploded in Karachi, on her arrival. With the common strain of terrorism in Punjab, Hyderabad, Bangalore in J&K as well as in Pakistan recently being the ISI, Jammu and Kashmir is feared to have its direct fallout with eighteen years long terrorism in this state getting intensified.
Even if one believes in the profession and claims of Pak President Musharraf that he has been doing his best to check the Islamic Jehadis within his country, operating against India as well, yet the situation is alarming since Musharraf who cannot contain the militancy within his own country of which he himself claims to be a victim with several attempts made on his life, cannot be expected to curb the militants operating from his country against India. The gien, which he has brought out of the bottle, is not now under his control and power to be put back in the bottle.
Still another fallout of political instability and disturbed law and order situation in Pakistan in the context of Jammu and Kashmir will be putting the solution to the Kashmir problem in a cold storage for the time being. Until the conditions in Pakistan normalize and political stability is achieved, there is every likelihood that the process of dialogue between India and Pakistan will get a temporary halt or slowed down. |
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