December 05, 2008	Friday	Zilhaj 6, 1429

KARACHI, Dec 4: Awami Muslim League chief Shaikh Rashid has said that if India threatens Pakistan militarily, the government should exercise its first-use option and launch nuclear weapons against the eastern neighbour.

Rashid said that Pakistan faced no threat from its western border and therefore all the forces should be withdrawn from the Afghan border and redeployed on the eastern border in order to secure the country.

Rashid, who was federal minister first for information and then for railways under former president Pervez Musharraf, made these observations at a press conference at a local hotel on Thursday. His party’s Sindh chapter President Mehfoozyar Khan was also present.

Referring to US policy in the region, Rashid said the threat of Islamisation among Muslims was on the rise due to the oppression of the US and its allies.

He also regretted that tribesmen who fled military operations in their areas to come to Karachi had been dubbed as ‘the Taliban’.

“It is high time for the political leadership to put their interests on the back burner,” Rashid said, “and think first of the nation and the country.” He added that “due to our economic circumstances we cannot afford a conventional war”. The AML chief asserted that instead of adopting an “apologetic” attitude, the government should negotiate with India on an equal footing.

Rashid termed the attacks on Mumbai regrettable, but warned the Indian government against acting aggressively “on the pretext of the Mumbai tragedy”.

He also termed back-door diplomacy between the two countries “meaningless”, and demanded that it be given up. Rashid demanded that the government take the nation into confidence about correspondence between India and Pakistan.

When his attention was drawn towards a list of 20 people India has demanded be handed over, Shaikh Rashid said that Pakistan should produce a similar list and demand the extradition of Indians from their government. He claimed that there was currently no agreement between Pakistan and India regarding the exchange of accused persons.

Referring to the international media, Rashid said that the world media recognised that the internal situation in India was not satisfactory, and that to divert attention India could target Pakistan’s ISI and its missile technology.

Terming violence in Karachi regrettable, the AML chief lauded the efforts and response of political parties. He said that Karachi was as important for Pakistan as Mumbai was for India.

Rashid also spoke about military operations in FATA, saying that the army should be recalled from the area, as the ongoing action there was not a war for survival, but was becoming a threat to the survival of the country.

Responding to a question, Shaikh Rashid said the Islamabad Solidarity conference had sent a positive message to the world that at this time of trial, the country was united.

The AML chief said that India had held up Pakistan’s water supply and sealed its borders to trade. He said the country never missed an opportunity to harm Pakistan, and hence the time had come for Pakistan to exercise its first-strike option in case a military conflict became inevitable.