IN his interview with the 'Wall Street Journal', Asif Ali Zardari has made some observations regarding India and the Kashmiri mujahideen (Dawn, Oct 5).

First, that “India has never been a threat to Pakistan”. This is shocking. Has he forgotten who helped dismember Pakistan in 1971? Also, that after the fall of Dhaka, Mrs Indira Gandhi had triumphantly declared that the two-nation theory had been sunk in the Bay of Bengal. Not only that, her grandson Rahul Gandhi left no doubts about the intentions of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, which had led the Congress and ruled India for several decades after 1947, when he stated last year that it had been the family's longstanding plan to break up Pakistan.

What is Mr Zardari talking about? Perhaps his memory has failed him or, his view of reality is poles apart from that of the Pakistanis. And, how about India's occupation of Siachen Glacier in 1984, which has put so much burden on the Pakistan Army and the national exchequer? Or, its annexation of a large portion of Kashmir, all of Hyderabad state, Junagadh and Manavadar?

India's ruling elite had been working against this country right after its creation. Mr Zardari appears not even to know that the Quaid-i-Azam had complained in writing to the British prime minister a few months after independence that India's leaders were trying to sabotage Pakistan. And, was New Delhi's refusal to hand over to Pakistan its share of the financial and military assets after partition an act of friendship? No sir, I am afraid Mr Zardari is out of touch with the country's reality as related to India.

His second observation was that the militant groups operating in Kashmir are 'terrorists'. He should know that even former Indian premier Atal Behari Vajpayee had referred to the Kashmiri militants as 'our people' (rather than outsiders) and offered to hold talks with them. It is ironic that instead of trying to boost the morale of the brutalised Kashmiris, in whose defence some Indian intellectuals, too, are speaking out, our president is making things yet more difficult for them.

It is important to remember that until about a decade ago even the US and other western countries weren't calling the freedom fighters in Chechnya and Kashmir as terrorists. On the other hand, there was covert support for the Chechens and overt one for the Kosovar guerillas. However, it was only after 9/11 that the US started viewing all Muslim mujahideen as a potential threat to it and began using this appellation for them to pave the way for military action if it became necessary. But, why must we do that?

Besides, I am not able to understand what he had meant when he said a few weeks ago that the nation would soon hear some good news about the Kashmir issue? Before that, some time after the Feb 18 election, during an interview with an Indian TV channel, he had suggested that the Kashmir issue must be put on the back burner and left to the future generations to solve.

Most certainly we must strive for good relations with India but as equals, without grovelling and the truth should not be turned upside down, principles abandoned or our position undermined, to do that.

AHSANULLAH

Karachi