Islamic extremism,not India Pak’s enemy No.1: Lieberman

Islamic extremism,not India is Pakistan's enemy No.1 and this needs to be understood very clearly by the establishment in Islamabad,a powerful US Senator has said.

Islamic extremism,not India is Pakistan’s enemy No.1 and this needs to be understood very clearly by the establishment in Islamabad,a powerful US Senator has said.

“Pakistanis have to understand that their major enemy in the region is no longer India,but its Islamist extremism. In fact,they have a common enemy in that with the Indians,” said Senator Joseph Lieberman in his interaction at the Council on Foreign Relations,an American think-tank.

Lieberman,Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs,said it is difficult to convince the Pakistani establishment. “That’s a tough sell,” he said.

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Responding to questions,Senator Lieberman reiterated that any new aid to Pakistan needs to be conditional and linked to its success in the fight against terrorism.

“I think we’re trying to come to a point where we essentially it’s another one of those more for more exchanges. We will help you more including financially if you will do more to increase the capacity of your government to deliver for your people,to break continuing ties between ISI and the Taliban,” he said.

The Senator said that Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has taken some steps that are quite encouraging in a progressive way. “It’s quite interesting that he’s well regarded by the leadership of neighbouring countries like Afghanistan and India,” he said.

The Senator disagreed that Pakistan would be taken over by the Islamic extremists. He,however,expressed concern over the deal with the Taliban militants in the Swat Valley,which has been taken over by the extremist forces.

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“I worry about the accommodation going on to this element. I don’t think in the long run it works for the current leadership of Pakistan,our allies,nor does it work for the people of Pakistan and it certainly don’t work for us,” he said.

However,given the rapid rise of Islamic militancy,he said the stakes are high in Pakistan,because they’re a nuclear power. “They represent a critical role in that region and what’s happening there is very alarming,” he said.