KOZHIKODE, May 31: The leaders of most Muslim organisations are taking a cautious line while commenting on the nuclear tests by India and Pakistan.Expressing apprehensions that the latest nuclear detonation by the neighbouring country would lead to an arms race in the Indian sub-continent, some leaders of the Peoples' Democratic Party and the National Development Front blamed India for initiating the process.Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) state president Panakkad Shihab Thangal on Saturday sought time to respond to the nuclear tests conducted by Pakistan.``With this, Pakistan had no other option than to act on similar line,'' they said. According to P Kunhumohammed, a district leader of PDP, the latest exercises by the two countries would in no way help to solve the problems faced by the common people in Third World countries.``The real issue is the poverty faced by these countries,'' he said.According to the general secretary of Samastha Kerala Sunni Students Federation (SKKF), MusthafaMundupara, the provocation for Pakistan to conduct nuclear tests came from the Government led by Atal Behari Vajpayee. However, the challenge posed by Pakistan had to be met unitedly by all Indians, he said.He stated that the Indian Government had chosen the most inopportune time to conduct the tests and the country had lost its standing as a peace-loving nation. The SKSSF leader also expressed serious concern at the action of the Pakistan Government and said that the situation which had generated tension in the region could have been avoided.SSF leader Majeed Kakkad felt that nuclear explosions conducted by Pakistan were a natural reciprocation of India's action, but ``we must be prepared to meet the threats to the security of the country irrespective of the country from which the threats emanate''.He also believes that all peace-loving countries in the world were against the nuclear explosions conducted at Pokharan by India. The country's claim for a permanent seat in the Security Council alsomight not get support from many countries, he said.Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) State president Naheem Thottathil criticised the decision of both India and Pakistan to conduct nuclear tests even as people of both countries were facing grave problems like poverty and illiteracy.
