Double-faced concern

The General protests too much. Pakistan's chief executive, Pervez Musharraf, has once again reiterated that his country has nothing to do ...

The General protests too much. Pakistan8217;s chief executive, Pervez Musharraf, has once again reiterated that his country has nothing to do with the recent hijacking of flight IC 814. He even expressed his pain and dismay at being accused of harbouring the men who had hijacked the aircraft. The message from Pakistan is that it remains as firm as ever in its intent to try the hijackers in accordance with the law. Thanks, General, but no thanks. It would have been more easy to have believed you if the footprints from Kandahar did not lead directly to Pakistan.

True, the hijackers have for the moment vanished from the face of the earth, helped no doubt by the monkey caps they sported during their eight-day reign of terror on board that unfortunate Airbus. But the presence in Pakistan of at least two of the three militants from Indian jails that this country was forced to surrender in return for the lives of 155 hostages makes a mockery of Pakistani scruples. Not only was Maulana Masood Azhar sighted in southKarachi, he lost no time in voicing his determination to fight for the 8220;liberation8221; of Kashmir. But what was most interesting about what Masood had to say concerned the hijackers. According to him, all five of them are Kashmiris and that they are preparing for the next assault.

Clearly, even if the Pakistani government does not know where the hijackers are, Masood has more than a clear inkling of their whereabouts. It follows then that if the Pakistan government is as serious and committed as it pretends to be about bringing the hijackers to judgment, then it could have at the very least tried to get the relevant information out of Masood. But no, the Musharraf dispensation seems more interested in playing elaborate cat-and-mouse games with India rather than follow the trail with honesty and commitment. As for the second militant freed by India, Mustaq Ahmed Zargar, he too from all accounts has been given safe passage in Pakistan and is presently in Muzaffarabad, in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, where he wasevidently treated to a hero8217;s welcome.

The presence of these two militants on Pakistani soil, just a few days after their release, tells its own story. It would be straining the limits of incredulity to believe that the hijackers and the three men for whom they staked their lives, are two different entities. They are, in fact, two sides of the same coin, just as the hijacking of IC 814 is just another aspect of the terrorism that India, and especially the state of Jammu and Kashmir, has had to experience over these several decades. For the moment, Pakistan seems to have protected itself from the wrath of the international community by making the right noises condemning acts of international terrorism and claiming that it is being unfairly maligned by a vengeful neighbour.

But not for much longer, it would seem. As further evidence of Pakistani complicity in these attacks on India surface, Pakistan may discover that it was being too clever by half. There is an old adage which when altered slightly couldprove a cautionary tale for nations such as Pakistan: you may be able to fool some nations some of the time, but you cannot fool all the nations, all the time.