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Wednesday,
September 19, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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Pakistan to pull out troops New Delhi, September 18 Well-placed sources here said today that Pakistan had troops stationed in Nangarhar, Dara-i-Suf, Takhar, Kabul, Kandahar and some air bases in Afghanistan. These included about 1000 Pakistan Army regulars. This development assumes importance in view of a recent report by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s on the situation in Afghanistan. According to this report, there had been a tremendous increase in the number of Pakistanis in the Taliban-controlled areas of Afghanistan. These Pakistanis were seen manning several departments and were taking decisions in different spheres of Taliban administration. The UN report also stated that Pakistanis were removing several Afghans within the Taliban administration who were considered pragmatic or moderate. One of the recent instances was the dismissal of 9000 civil servants for their links with former President Najibullah. The move clearly shows that Pakistan is now trying to demonstrate to Washington that it has completely dissociated itself from Taliban. During his just-concluded visit to Washington, chief of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen Mehmood Ahmed was handed over a list of US demands which primarily focussed on two points. The USA wants from Pakistan detailed intelligence on the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden and training camps being run by him inside Afghanistan. Significantly, the ISI chief, who was to conclude his US visit on September 11, was instructed by Gen Pervez Musharraf to stay back. He eventually returned home on September 15 and showed the American list to Gen Musharraf. Another reason of deepening fissures between Pakistan and Taliban is the Taliban’s refusal to hand over 200 activists of the hardcore fundamentalist and sectarian outfits — Sipah-e-Sahiba and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. These activists include Riaz Basra, the most wanted terrorist who has been involved in the killings of Shias in Pakistan.  |
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Security stepped up for Musharraf, US diplomats Islamabad, September 18 The Council for Defence of Pakistan and Afghanistan at a meeting in Lahore yesterday adopted a resolution vowing to respond “positively” to the jehad call given by the Taliban in the event of a US attack. The protest call comes hours after President Musharraf’s meeting with politicians and religious leaders to take them into confidence over his government’s decision to accede to the US demands. Media reports said at the meeting, that President Musharraf promised not to take any step without taking the nation into confidence. With Taliban and their supporters threatening to retaliate in the event of US military strikes, extraordinary security measures have been taken to prevent any terrorist attacks on the life of President Pervez Musharraf, US citizens in Pakistan and the US Embassy.
PTI |
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Pak cleric calls for jehad Karachi, September 18 In a direct warning to Pakistan, he said Muslim countries that supported an attack against Afghanistan by non-Muslim forces would lose their authority under Islam. Meanwhile, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf worked to forge national unity ahead of possible American military operation in Afghanistan, a conglomerate of 20 religious parties has given a call for a general strike on September 21 to protest against the US move.
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