The Hindu : Pak. image takes a beating

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 12, 2002

International

International

Pak. image takes a beating

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD Aug. 11. As the toll in the terrorist attack on a missionary hospital in Taxila went up to five, authorities in Pakistan have drawn up a new plan to protect places of worship of minorities and the interests and installations of foreign countries.

Reports from Taxila town said one of the 23 injured in the terror strike on the missionary hospital on Friday succumbed to injuries. Three nurses and one of the terrorists were killed in the deadly early morning attack.

The Musharraf Government is faced with an enormous challenge of convincing the foreigners, particularly from the West, in the country that they have no reason to be worried about their safety. The manner in which a number of Western countries have curtailed their diplomatic activities is seriously hurting the economy.

On Saturday, the police had said on the basis of the identification of the killed terrorist, that the attackers could be linked to one of the banned religious outfits. There were hints today that it could be the handiwork of the Jaish-e-Muhammad.

Jaish was established by Maulana Masood Azar, one of the three militants released by the Indian Government in exchange for the freedom of the passengers on board the hijacked Indian airlines plane in December 1999.

It appears that at least some of the agencies in Pakistan helped Masood Azad to establish Jaish and grab the offices of another militant outfit in different parts of the country.

The Pakistan Government banned Jaish and there was some kind of crackdown on its activists after the United States declared it as a terrorist organisation.

There is belated acknowledgement from senior functionaries of the Musharraf Government that Masood Azar should have been restrained.

The Pakistan Interior Minister, Moinuddin Haider, in an interview to a Pakistan paper today, was quoted as saying that "his (Mazood Azar's) policies have been very, very injurious and bad for Pakistan.''

``His actions, whether he has done them or not, have brought a lot of discredit and given Pakistan a bad image. I see sometimes his group involved in some of sort of law-breaking activities. He is not a great freedom fighter''.

The Minister was responding to a specific question whether Azar is to be categorised as a "terrorist or freedom fighter''.

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