Only terrorists must be targeted: Pak.

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, OCT. 5. For the first time since it pledged unstinted cooperation to Washington in fight against terrorism, Islamabad today indirectly cautioned the U.S. and its allies against any discriminate action in response to the September 11 incidents. At a press conference here, the Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson, Mr. Riaz Mohammad Khan, referred to ``sentiments'' and stressed that things ``have to be managed carefully''.

``The U.S. has not yet shared any operational plans with us. But all I can say is that keeping in mind the sentiments, things have to be managed carefully. It should be ensured that only terrorists are targeted and innocent people do not suffer. This is not a war against the people of any country'', Mr. Khan said. He was replying to a question on media reports on the U.S. decision to opt for minimum use of facilities offered by Pakistan for any planned strikes in Afghanistan.

The dominant sentiment in Pakistan is against giving a ``free run'' to the U.S. to launch strikes against Afghanistan. The rallies and demonstrations organised by some religious parties and hard-liners reflect this sentiment. Diplomats and political observers here maintain that one of the reasons for the delayed and measured response of Washington to the September 11 incidents is the overall mood within Pakistan.

``There is a danger of sharp polarisation within the Pakistani society in the event of any indiscriminate action from its soil by the U.S. against Afghanistan. I believe Washington has realised it. This is reflected in the statements of various functionaries of the Bush administration and the U.S. media reports in the last few days,'' said a western diplomat.

Meanwhile, there is a sense of relief among the managers of the military government that the fourth Friday after the strikes in the U.S has passed off without any untoward incidents. There were reports of impressive demonstrations organised by pro-Taliban elements in some parts of Pakistan after the Friday prayers. Local media reports said that thousands of Afghans on Thursday participated in anti-U.S. rallies from Jalalabad to Torkham.

In a related development, the chairman of the Council for Defence of Pakistan and Afghanistan, Maulana Samiul Haq, has warned the Pakistan Government against playing the role of a ``hired killer'' in the prevailing crisis. He condemned Pakistan for recognising the American evidence against Osama and termed it as a shameful act. The act had broken the hearts of more than a billion Muslims. Pakistan was behaving like the ``Attorney- General'' of the U.S. and the Foreign Office had become more loyal than the King. The U.S. was presenting concocted evidence to justify its possible attack on Afghanistan. Only a court could take a decision regarding the authenticity of the evidence and the Foreign Office had no right to take a decision whether the evidence was credible or not, he said.

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Section  : International
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