Srijan Foundation

Pakistan is caught in a downward spiral of terrorism and violence.

     Worse, it has no worthwhile institution that inspires confidence. Its Legislatures are but empty wind bags, its political parties are in complete disarray. The judiciary which was trying to stand up has been buried up to the neck.

      The Army and the ISI which have been running the country are themselves contaminated with extremists. Attacks on Gen Musharraf have been initiated by members of armed forces.  The ISI which at last estimate has been making around 3 billion US$ every year from narcotics is a Frankestien Monster, subject to no legitimate body. 

     The Army and the ISI have made no secret of their having nuclear weapons or inclination to use them.  Since both are enmeshed in relationship with extremist elements, it is only a matter of time, before they fall into the hands of terrorists. 

     Remember, Even Russia had many such wepons. However when the USSR broke up they managed with US & Nato help to get hold of and neutralise wepons and missiles in the seceding states. Pakistan, which  has kept the locations  atomic wepons secret and appears to have very loose control over its own personnell, poses a grave threat to not only to South Asia but to all humanity. 

     US which has been aware of the proliferation by Pakistan has never discouraged it. In fact its turning a blind eye to the nefarious activities of AQ Khan and Co, and the Pakistani establishment is responsible for the  present state of affairs. Should the weapons fall in to the hands of Al Quaida or any of its subsideries, US will be the prime target.  

     Should the terrorists find it a difficult targer, Europe Israel would be the next alternate targets.  

     India , a soft state, has been  the testing ground for all tactics and proving operations of terrorists, is running the greatest danger from the nuclear arsenal of Pakistan.

Colrama

NOTHING WORRIES the world more than the combination of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, its political instability and its past record of proliferation.

     More than the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, however, it has been recent evidence of jihadi infiltration of the Pakistani military that have resurrected fears of an “atomic Taliban” scenario.

     There is a clear divide over how to handle Pakistan’s nuclear problem. Non-proliferation and counter-terrorism experts argue nothing is more important than securing Pakistan’s arsenal. This means putting one’s eggs in the military basket and backing dictators like Pervez Musharraf to the hilt.

     Former head of arms control in the US State Department, John Bolton, once said the general “is the best bet to secure the nuclear arsenal”. Others argue nuclear safety is best assured by political stability. And stability means a democratic government.

     “Pakistan’s arsenal is worth worrying about. But that doesn’t necessarily lead to the conclusion that you have to build policy around a military strongman. Moving toward political legitimacy is a strong protection,” says Teresita Schaffer, South Asia expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

     This thesis has been supported by a recent study of A.Q. Khan’s nuclear black market operations by the International Institute for Strategic Studies and a book, The Nuclear Jihadist, by Douglas Frantz and Catherine Collins. Both conclude the fragmented nature of Pakistan’s polity allowed Khan to sell nuclear secrets freely.

     “The diffusion of domestic political power among the troika of the President, Prime Minister and the Army Chief, obscured the command and control authority over the covert nuclear weapons programme,” says the IISS report.

     The Pakistani military alternate between warning of a Taliban takeover and assuring the world that its estimated 50 nuclear warheads are safe. Raising the latter fear buttresses support for the military in Washington. Says Frederic Grare, Pakistan analyst at Carnegie Endowment: “The military always use the nuclear bogey as leverage against the US.

     ” On the other hand, several reports have said the US maintains contingency plans for either bombing or capturing Pakistan’s half-a-dozen nuclear installations in case the country looks like it is losing control of its arsenal.

     References to military cooperation with India in handling “third countries” losing control of their nuclear bombs in the Pentagon’s Quadrennial Defence Review indicate New Delhi would have a role in such a contingency plan. Says Stephen Cohen of the Brookings Institute and author of The Idea of Pakistan: “Pakistanis fear a US or Indian attack on their arsenal.” While most analysts say Pakistan’s arsenal is in no specific danger from the present turmoil, the larger concern is that the lack of a legitimate government feeds into a broader political crisis in Pakistan – one that is infecting the professionalism of the military as well.

     The Pakistani military’s operations in the Northwest Frontier Province against Islamic in surgents have seen record levels of court martials and desertions. Former RAW Pakistan analyst B. Raman recently noted that the suicide bomber who had attacked the ISI headquarters had a password only given to brigadier-level officers.

     The evidence of Islamist support within the military is strong, notes counter-terrorism expert Daveed Gartenstein-Ross. “At least three of the attempts on Musharraf ‘s life were inside jobs.”     

     Islamabad has officially admitted that two times in the past six years, its nuclear scientists passed on sensitive data to outsiders, including once in 2001 to Osama himself. US intelligence keeps a close watch on evidence of separate centres of power arising within the Pakistan military and intelligence apparatus. That is seen as a warning sign.

      They are less concerned about mobs on the street or political assassinations. “Pakistan’s record is world-class bad,” says Cohen.

     He notes that Russia cooperated with the West in securing its “loose nukes” problem. Pakistan is less helpful. Though it accepted US nuclear safety technology and training, Islamabad sent its personnel to the US rather than allow US officials to know the location of its nuclear installations.

     Even now, US officials say they are not sure if they know the whereabouts of all of Pakistan’s nuclear sites.

pchaudhuri@hindustantimes.com

     TWO SIKH brothers from Patiala’s Model Town were shot dead in their restaurant in Richmond, California, on Thursday but the motive was not immediately clear.

      Their family and the Sikh community in Richmond suspect that Ravinder Kalsi (40) and his younger brother Paramjit Kalsi (30) were victims of mistaken identities as the two gunmen neither committed theft nor did the victims have any personal enmity with anyone. According to reports, the killing took place around 9 p.m. (local time) on Thursday night when there were no customers in the brothers’ Sahib Indian restaurant.

     Ravinder reportedly answered a knock on the door just after the restaurant closed for the day. A report said he was shot dead in the doorway itself. “The killers touched nothing, said nothing. They found Paramjit in the kitchen and shot him dead too,” the report in a US-based daily said. The police found one of them dead and the other was airlifted to an area hospital where he died later .

     The Richmond police confirmed that there was no robbery and the only motive seemed to be murder Reports said the police had taken CCTV footage and were looking for witnesses.

     Talking to HT in Patiala, a brother of the victims, Harinder Singh, said the restaurant manager had conveyed the news to them on Thursday “The manager told us that she saved herself by hiding under the counter when the gunmen shot them dead,” he said.

     “They were doing their business sincerely What was their mistake?” asked Harinder Ravinder and Paramjit were both green card holders and had worked hard to set up the restaurant after they moved to the US about a decade ago, he said, adding they also had a real estate busines

     s. The family was in a state of shock and their mother Gurbachan Kaur was inconsolable. The brothers are among nine siblings and had done their schooling from Patiala’s Government Multipurpose School. When contacted, SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar said he would take up the issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the American Embassy “I will seek an inquiry into the incident.

      It has to be seen whether this is a case of mistaken identities (post-9/11) or of racial hatred,” he added. Divisional Commissioner S.K. Ahluwalia has assured all help to the family MISTAKEN IDENTITY? 

      The victims’ family and the Sikh community in Richmond suspect that Ravinder and his younger brother Paramjit were victims of mistaken identities as the two gunmen neither committed theft nor did the victims have any personal onmity with anyone a Reports said the police had taken CCTV footage and were looking for witnesses.