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Musharraf may seek immediate end to Kashmir row
By B. Muralidhar Reddy
ISLAMABAD, JAN. 11. The much-awaited address to the nation of the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, would take place tomorrow at 8 p.m.(IST). There is an element of trepidation in official circles here over the speech particularly in view of the heightened expectations on its impact to bring down the current tensions between India and Pakistan.
Gen. Musharraf is under tremendous pressure from the international community to be seen as acting against terrorist groups in Pakistan even as the domestic opinion is building against any measures that would be seen as a concession to the Indian demands.
Senior functionaries of the Musharraf regime have been busy downplaying the contents of his expected speech. There is a feeling that the U.S. Senate delegation, which recently met Gen. Musharraf has heightened the expectations that the speech would be `historic'.
Indications are that while Gen. Musharraf would denounce militant groups and violence in support of any cause, he is likely to make out a strong case in favour of an immediate resolution of the Kashmir dispute.
Significantly, the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) headed by the former Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto, put out a press statement speculating that Gen. Musharraf would announce the extradition of Indian nationals wanted by India in a bid to defuse the tension between the two countries.
The party said that the international community had made it clear to Gen. Musharraf that he would have to crack down on certain groups that were active in the Kashmiri movement if he expected support to avoid a larger conflict.
The party said there was the perception that the ISI was not under the control of the Musharraf regime. This perception is disputed as General Musharraf has the power to appoint, promote, demote and fire those serving in the ISI.
PTI reports:
The Lahore High Court has upheld the three-month-long detention of the leader of the Jaish-e-Muhammad, Maulana Masud Azhar and the former chief of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hafeez Muhammad Saeed, wanted by India for the attack on the Indian Parliament.
Both Azhar and Saeed were being detained in the central province of Punjab, after they were arrested on charges of violating maintenance of public order and making inflammatory speeches.
Reports from Lahore said today that the High Court rejected a petition for their release filed on their behalf by a lawyer. Their detention was challenged on grounds of legality.
Officials of the provincial government said the two men could appeal to the Home Secretary of Punjab. The Lahore High Court yesterday rejected a petition from a defence lawyer that the detentions were illegal.
Azhar was arrested on December 25 and lodged in Mianwali district jail, about 250 km. southwest of Lahore, officials said.
Saeed had been lodged in the Saliha resthouse located at a police training camp about 40 km. from Rawalpindi, they said.
Meanwhile security forces have launched a crackdown against the militant groups in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The PoK administration and police launched a joint operation against `jehadi' outfits yesterday, Urdu daily Khabaren reported.
There was, however, no official confirmation about the report.
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