THIS IS apropos of the front-page story with the sub-heading, 'Propaganda against ISI angers JCSC', the article, 'Pakistan's trust deficit' by Kunwar Idris, both of Oct 12, and the column, 'How our spymasters view the world', by Irfan Husain (Oct 11).

The story says that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Gen Tariq Majid, took serious note of insinuations about Pakistan's nuclear programme and the Inter-Services Intelligence agency. Although the source(s) of the propaganda weren't specified, they are quite well known to us.

In his write-up, Kunwar Idris has reproduced some remarks of The Economicst about the ISI from a recent issue

“Pakistan's notorious military spooks deserve credit for the audacity of their covert support for the Taliban, the enemy of Pakistan's greatest ally. But America's patience with the ISI's double-dealing is running thin.”

The paper then goes on to cast doubts on the assurances of a 'civilian with a dodgy past' (which, Mr Idris clarifies, means our president), to tame the ISI that the publication has sarcastically labelled as the 'Invisible Soldiers Inc.'

On his part, Irfan Husain has written that, increasingly, Pakistan is being blamed for the losses incurred by the western forces in Afghanistan, due to which the Americans are constrained to enter our tribal areas to combat the militants, whom our forces are unable or unwilling to take on.

Gen Majid is right in feeling indignant about the poisonous propaganda against our premier intelligence outfit. It appears to be a well-orchestrated campaign being run from New Delhi, Kabul, Washington and London, in order to defang the ISI and give the hostile powers a free hand in the region.

To The Economist's criticism of the ISI working against Pakistan's greatest ally, one would like to point out that it was the US which had taken on its payroll the notorious Northern Alliance of Afghanistan after 9/11. This was done despite Pakistan's strong reservations due to its close ties to the Soviets and sworn enmity with Islamabad.

On the contrary, Taliban, who were on good terms with Pakistan, were collectively targeted, leading to their ouster, merely because Mulla Omer wanted the Americans to provide evidence against Osama bin Laden, so a court could decide if he must be expelled from Afghanistan.

The US-led operation resulted in the setting up of an inimicable regime in Kabul, which resurrected the Durand Line issue and is siding with India while also becoming a conduit for external help to the Baloch insurgents, all of which have seriously hurt the interests of this 'frontline state'. Therefore, instead of pointing fingers at Pakistan or the ISI, these countries should first do some soul-searching.

Mr Husain hasn't given any thought to what happened to the Americans in Vietnam and Iraq. The outcome of the wars over there shows that foreign forces have no chance of winning against homegrown guerilla movements. This is also true for the British (19th century) and Soviet (20th century) incursions into Afghanistan. Was Pakistan responsible for the American debacle in Iraq?

The truth is that the Pakhtuns on both sides of the Durand Line couldn't have been stopped by any other country, if they had similarly straddled a border elsewhere, say between Iran and Afghanistan or Turkmenistan and Afghanistan.

Now, a word of counsel to the ISI. The agency's involvement in domestic politics and the alleged disappearance of many Pakistanis are the primary reasons for the justifiable resentment against it amongst a lot of Pakistanis.

It must take steps to clear the bad image thus created and scrupulously stay away from such activities. Its main tasks of counterinsurgency and foreign operations are extremely important for the nation and are things on which it ought to focus.

Finally, in reply to The Economist'sappellation of 'Invisible Soliders Inc.' used for the ISI, it is slanderous to argue the agency was allowed to engage in double dealing when, according to army figures, more than 1,300 soldiers have died in the fight against militants.

This is an organisation many Pakistanis are proud of, because its operatives put their lives at perpetual risk to ensure the nation's safety. Therefore, one would rather call it, “Intrepid Saviours' Institution”.

QAMAR IQBAL Karachi