The Hindu : Drive against Al-Qaeda evokes protest

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jul 07, 2002

International

International

Drive against Al-Qaeda evokes protest

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD JULY 6. The North-West Frontier Province on Friday picked up a former Member of Parliament for raising questions on the encounter between police and suspected Al-Qaeda personnel.

The encounter between the Pakistan security forces and the suspected Al-Qaeda operatives in Kohat town led to the death of two policemen and four Al-Qaeda operatives. The shootout took place as the suspected Al-Qaeda men refused to heed to the police call to halt and tried to speed away in their vehicle.

On Friday night, the Peshawar police detained the former Member of the National Assembly belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), Javed Ibrahim, after he lead protest rallies demanding "proper burial" to the suspected Al-Qaeda operatives who died in the encounter.

Mr. Ibrahim, along with his supporters, is reported to have argued with the local authorities that police should have arrested the suspected Al-Qaeda activists rather than shoot them down. They also demanded the handing over of the bodies.

The incident is a reflection of the resentment — though at the moment confined to a small section — over the manner in which Pakistan has got involved in what is essentially seen as an "American war". Religious parties and groups have already warned the Musharraf Government of serious repercussions if it continues with the operations against the "infiltrators" from Afghanistan.

The Musharraf regime's decision to send para-military and military forces into the sensitive tribal belt, for the first time in the history of Pakistan, has not gone down well with the tribal leaders and elders. There have been protests from some of the religious outfits and groups in the region against the presence of the security forces.

Conscious of the sensitivity of the people to reports of joint operations by the Pakistan and American forces, a spokesman of the Ministry of Interior clarified today that there was no truth in the campaign that the U.S. was part of any search operation.

He denied reports in a section of the press that FBI agents were working parallel to national investigation agencies.

"The fact is that FBI presence is in the country is minimal and the news item is not based on fact. Ministry of Interior repeatedly has clarified the same and once again clarifies that there is no such parallel investigation being done by FBI in any case in Pakistan''.

Talking to presspersons in Karachi, the Interior Minister, Moinuddin Haider, referred to the impression being created that the attacks were being carried out in the tribal areas and asserted that there was no truth in it. Tribal notables, leaders and people were "happily cooperating" with the Government because they realised that if the Al-Qaeda activists entrenched themselves there, this would bring trouble to them as well as to Pakistan.

"They fully understand this and are not allowing outsiders to stay in their areas''.

He said the U.S. had provided five helicopters to Pakistan to step up its surveillance in the tribal areas. These arrived in Pakistan on Thursday.

Besides, funds would be made available for finger print unit, forensic laboratory and to strengthen police intelligence.

"We are acquiring equipment and training for police and seeking help from the U.S. on the ground that we are cooperating in the war against terrorism and, therefore, it should accrue benefit to Pakistan on a long-term basis''.

In a related development, Pakistani police today claimed to have made a large seizure of illegal weapons including assault rifles, rocket launchers and hand grenades in the north-west region bordering Afghanistan.

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