ID :
13387
Tue, 07/22/2008 - 15:02
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/13387
The shortlink copeid
Pak dictators had 'sheltered terrorists', says Zardari
Islamabad, Jul 22 (PTI) - In a veiled attack on President Pervez Musharraf, ruling P.P.P. chairman Asif Ali Zardari Monday said Pakistan's dictators had "sheltered terrorists" and some elements in the intelligence set-up had "links withmilitants" since Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.
Pakistan was manipulated as a "tool of Cold War intrigue" and "made into a surrogate for a war against the Soviets in Afghanistan", he said. "After the war was won both Pakistan and Afghanistan were abandoned to the forces of extremism and fanaticism," Zardari told a group of P.P.P. lawmakers from thetroubled North West Frontier Province (N.W.F.P.).
He recalled that slain P.P.P. chairperson Benazir Bhutto had made a commitment before returning to Pakistan last year that she would end that "protection of the Taliban and AlQaida immediately" if she was voted to power.
In the past, the West had invested in Pakistan's weapons and military but not in its people and for building prosperity. Now, Pakistan needs the help of the international community to transform the country into a successful model ofmodernity for Muslims across the world, he said.
"If Pakistan succeeded, we will contain Talibanization, extremism and terrorism. But if we fail, the world will fail with us," he said. The P.P.P. chief convened a meeting with the parliamentarians to discuss political and socio-economic issues on the N.W.F.P. with reference to the war on terror,Talibanization and meeting challenges to the writ of state.
Amidst reports of possible unilateral military action by the U.S. to stem terrorist activities in Pakistan's restive tribal belt, Zardari said attempts to reform the tribal areas through military operations had "only increased the number of extremists and militants and it was time to undertake a social operation that was integral to the social norms of itspeople".
Pakistan was manipulated as a "tool of Cold War intrigue" and "made into a surrogate for a war against the Soviets in Afghanistan", he said. "After the war was won both Pakistan and Afghanistan were abandoned to the forces of extremism and fanaticism," Zardari told a group of P.P.P. lawmakers from thetroubled North West Frontier Province (N.W.F.P.).
He recalled that slain P.P.P. chairperson Benazir Bhutto had made a commitment before returning to Pakistan last year that she would end that "protection of the Taliban and AlQaida immediately" if she was voted to power.
In the past, the West had invested in Pakistan's weapons and military but not in its people and for building prosperity. Now, Pakistan needs the help of the international community to transform the country into a successful model ofmodernity for Muslims across the world, he said.
"If Pakistan succeeded, we will contain Talibanization, extremism and terrorism. But if we fail, the world will fail with us," he said. The P.P.P. chief convened a meeting with the parliamentarians to discuss political and socio-economic issues on the N.W.F.P. with reference to the war on terror,Talibanization and meeting challenges to the writ of state.
Amidst reports of possible unilateral military action by the U.S. to stem terrorist activities in Pakistan's restive tribal belt, Zardari said attempts to reform the tribal areas through military operations had "only increased the number of extremists and militants and it was time to undertake a social operation that was integral to the social norms of itspeople".
