Threat of I.S.I. greater after exit of Musharraf: India

New Delhi, Aug 31 (PTI) The threat of I.S.I.has become greater after exit of Pervez Musharraf, India has said and wondered whether the present dispensation in Islamabad would be able to rein in the notorious intelligence agency which has become "hyper-active" in the recent months.

National Security Adviser M. K. Narayanan said Indo-Pak ties had seen a "fair degree" of progress during Musharraf's te nure and several "half cooked" and "three-quarter cooked" ideas to improve relations were in pipeline which can be taken forward with "great statesmanship" and "courage".

He said Kashmir "isn't the easiest thing" to resolve and
wondered whether the Pakistan People's Party leader Asif Ali
Zardari, a "friend" of India who is likely to be the President
of Pakistan, is "going to take it on as the first test of his
leadership."

The National Security Advisor praised Pakistani Army
Chief General Kayani as "a widely respected professional
soldier" but was not sure if he had the capability to rein in
Inter State Intelligence and other anti-India elements.

"Yes," Narayanan said in an interview to Karan Thapar for
'India Tonight' programme when asked whether in the absence of
Musharraf the threat from the I.S.I. has become greater.

"In the last few months, the I.S.I. has been hyperactive
in many ways... and we are concerned that kind of activity
could increase because that's what they know how to do best,"
he said.

"I think the I.S.I., even under President Musharraf, were
not controlled to the extent we would have liked. If that is
not the case and you now have a civilian administration that's
still trying to find its feet and an army general who has
stepped back and is not anxious to get involved in affairs of
state, now (in those circumstances) what position could the
I.S.I. come to," Narayanan said.

"Intelligence agencies are like alsatians, they have to
be kept under check. Musharraf was the president and chief of
the army. Few people have held such authority.

"Kayani is, of course, the chief of the army and should
be able to control the I.S.I. But if President Musharraf,
wearing two hats, could not curb all their activities, then I
don't know if Kayani can do very much better ... I think
intelligence agencies tend to become very difficult when they
have no real masters."

Pointing out that the incidents of ceasefire violation by
Pakistan have increased, he, however, said "they don't really
add up to what we would call a major effort to roll back the
ceasefire of 2003... second, I don't think Pakistan is today
really in a position to think of a major offensive.

"The point really is why is this happening? What does it
mean? It's a function of the absence of strong central
control. People are doing many more things than they would do
if there had been tighter control."

Talking about Gen. Kayani, he wondered whether he would
"work against our interests or not."

"I don't think we have seen any evidence that he will
work against our interests. The question we are interested in
is (that) is he strong enough to take on those elements who we
know (are against us)," he said, adding "there is no strong
central authority" in that country.

On terrorist groups operating out of Pakistan, Narayanan
said "I think, there's now total control by Al Qaeda elements
in the jihadi camps ... and I think now the LeT is totally
subsumed in the Al Qaeda macro structure."

As a result, he said the jihadi outfits in Pakistan are
"now part of a wider terrorist structure. It certainly causes
us concern ... its now part of a wider enterprise."

Reverting to the Musharraf-era, Narayanan said "What we
had with President Musharraf was a period of four years in
which we made a fair degree of progress. I think the
violations of the Line of Control were minimal. We made
progress on the back channel and the various comprehensive
dialogues on many matters."

Narayanan said there were several "half cooked" and
"three-quarter cooked" ideas in the pipeline to improve
relations between the two countries but it will require great
statesmanship and courage to take forward these ideas.

"There are some ideas in the pipeline that would require
a great deal of statesmanship...it would require somebody who
has both confidence and the courage and the backing to push
forward some of these. This applies on both sides. The
question is on our side I think we could have it.

In Pakistan you have an entirely new leadership and I
don't know if this is going to be the first act they can take
on. I think it will be unfair to think this is going to be the
first act."

"Kashmir isn't the easiest thing and India-Pakistan
relations aren't the easiest things. So whether he (Zardari)
is going to take it on as the first test of his leadership is
a moot point," he said.

However, Narayanan refused to reveal these ideas saying:
"I think you will have to wait." PTI MPB