A trailer of this farce was exhibited again recently when the founder of a banned terrorist organisation, Lashkar-e-Taiba, ‘professor’ Hafeez Mohammed Saeed, has been arrested and released two or three times since last April. The bearded ‘professor’, who hides his face further behind dark glasses, had quickly renamed LeT as Jammat-ud-Dawa (JuD) after the US declared the former as a terrorist organisation with links to Al Qaeda. But he remains free to preach the same philosophy of murder and mayhem even after a US ban on the JuD.

An account of his latest detention and release would have looked more appropriate in the comical ‘autobiography’ authored on behalf of Gen Pervez Musharraf and hard sold at the White House. Each time Saeed is detained there is much blowing of trumpet by officials in Islamabad—and an equally loud protests by the Pakistani ‘awam’ (people). Saeed is always detained in a luxurious government-run guest house where about the only inconvenience he goes through is perhaps the order that prevents him from moving out of the ‘jail’ precincts.

After his last detention, the Lahore high court has held that the government action against him was illegal because it was ordered under ‘foreign’ (read US and Indian) influence. The court’s reference was clearly to an argument by the Punjab (Pakistan) government that actions of Hafeez Saeed could damage relations with ‘neighbouring countries.’

The mention of ‘neighbouring countries’ by a Pakistani official has aroused unnecessary speculation among sections in India that at last Pakistan has, albeit indirectly, admitted that some of its men are responsible for acts of terror in India. It is, at best, nothing more than an indirect and tactical statement to create the false impression that the activities against ‘neighbouring countries’ originate from certain men and organisations who act independently of the Pakistani government. It is not an indication that Pakistan has suddenly decided to end its overt or covert support to anti-Indian militancy--the bedrock of its policy towards India.

The Pakistan court held that the Punjab (Pakistan) government had failed to prove (deliberately?) its contention that Saeed had become a danger to law and order. In other words, Saeed is a nice bloke, full of love and compassion for humanity and putting any restrictions on such an ideal Pakistani citizen is patently illegal. This is hardly surprising, considering the fact that soon after he forcibly removed the elected government six Octobers ago, Pervez Musharraf had demanded that senior judges take an oath of loyalty. Those who refused had to quit.

The ‘independent’ Pakistani judiciary, of course, is not at liberty to adversely comment on the rendition of Pakistanis to the US, much less review the manner in which Musharraf has systematically undermined the country’s constitution. Being part of the ruling establishment, the judiciary in Pakistan cannot think differently from the executive which is controlled by the military-mullah combine. It is this potent mix of military brawn and fanatic brains that plans and executes acts of terrorism against India in the belief that the green crescent has to replace the tricolour at Red Fort.

For nearly 60 years Pakistanis have been brought up on this belief and men like Saeed command huge following because they openly pledge to fulfil this dream. The ‘enlightened’ and ‘moderate’ sections in Pakistan and their more ‘emancipated’ rulers in uniforms, all nurse such dreams about India.

The track record of Saeed and his organisation shows that he is anything but a man of peace and reason. His rhetoric was always and has been unapologetically and viciously anti-Hindu; the custom of commiserating with the victims of terror is alien to him and the philosophy he preaches. The JuD publications preach unadulterated Jihad and pour out venom against the Hindus and other non-Muslims.

All this escapes notice and scrutiny in Pakistan! Understandably so; after all, President George W. Bush and his followers in the world are always dishing out good conduct certificates to the General in Islamabad’s driver’s seat, discovering democratic virtues beneath his shining uniform. And has it been forgotten that at one time the present ruler of Pakistan, Gen Musharraf, was part of the Al Rashid trust which was later banned by the Security Council for acting as the conduit for Al Qaeda financing.

However, many important figures and organisation in the world as well as the land ruled by Bush think differently about Pakistan and organisations like JuD. Why, even the Bush administration has admitted that JuD is LeT by another name, with clear links to militant organisations in other parts of the world.

In the aftermath of the October 2005 earthquake the nexus between the Pakistani rulers and militants became palpably apparent. Millions of dollars that poured in from abroad, including UN organisations like UNICEF ended up in the hands of the banned militant groups. There were allegations that some of the money received for relief and rehabilitation of the earthquake victims went to bolster the coffers of the militant groups.

Investigations by BBC found that some charities run by militants had gained access to orphaned children and sent them to Madrassas where they learn their first lessons in Jihad before receiving training in the use of arms and ammunition. Such ‘transfers’ has taken place right under the nose of the Pakistani officials. It goes against the promise that children rendered homeless and fatherless in the 2005 earthquake would be taken care of either by their extended families of uncles and aunts or by the state. They were in no case to be put in the ‘care’ of militant organisations.

The International Crisis Group has accused the Pakistani government of looking the other way as militant groups used the relief money to expand their influence. Many militant groups either established for the first time or regained their popularity among the ordinary Pakistanis on the strength of their so-called relief and rehabilitation work in PoK.

Militant groups like the JuD have admitted that they were and are operating in PoK. More importantly, these groups say that they continue to support groups of ‘freedom fighters’ in Kashmir, the Pakistani name for terrorists. And you don’t jail ‘freedom fighters’ or their leaders. So the Pakistani burlesque of detaining militant leaders, written by Musharraf, must go on.


Courtesy : Syndicate Features

Printer-Friendly Version