New Delhi: CNN-IBN talked over the phone to Mushahid Hussain, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from Islamabad on who is actually in charge of power in Pakistan.
CNN-IBN:Who really is in charge at Pakistan at the moment? It would seem in view of all the diplomatic insensitivities, yesterday's situation handled very messily?
Mushahid Hussain: If India has a problem of turf between MEA and the home ministry, we also have tussles over turf between the President and the Prime minister. There is an element of incompetence which is a south Asian trait and hopefully that will be resolved. No one person is fully in-charge as such. It is a collective leadership, troika of sorts but they are clear on one thing that we should diffuse tensions and we should try to curb and crush terrorism as best as we can collectively, hopefully with the cooperation of India and the international community.
CNN-IBN:You had the former NSA saying that Ajmal Kasab is a Pakistani, you had Sherry Rehman sending out SMSes saying he is a Pakistani, yet you have your foreign secretary saying that he is not a Pakistani. Now that could be a turf war in one level as you call it but where do you stand. You are with Chairman of the Foreign Relations Commiittee. Do you believe that Ajmal Kasab is a Pakistani and we need to resolve that now and move on with the investigation?
Mushahid Hussain: As chairman of the senate foreign relations committee and as a responsible Pakistani, I have already declared publicly on Indian television that yes Ajmal Kasab is a Pakistani and we have a population of 160 million people. If one Pakistani is found involved in terrorism, it is very unfortunate just as the 9/11 hijackers were Saudis and Egyptians but nobody blamed the state of Saudi Arabia or Egypt institutions. So, it is an issue that is linked with transnational terrorism which we want to curb and contain because we ourselves are victims of terrorism and we should not be shy on that account. The issue is let us move on with it. India's problem was that it raised tensions unnecessarily and the issue was detracted from terrorism and the focus became on interstate tensions. And even I think India is rather unseemly rushing to Washington. India should talk it out with Pakistan. Let us work it out together.
CNN-IBN: If you are saying move on and you are being candid at this programme about saying yes Ajmal Kasab is a Pakistani, would you also be equally candid to say that the entire plot was hatched by Pakistan-based terrorists and those terrorists need to be in someway not just investigated but they need to be eliminated. Would you also take that next step?
Mushahid Hussain: I would only say let us investigate, may be the terrorists were based in Pakistan may be they were based in neighbouring Afghanistan afterall these are transnational actors. You have terrorists in your northeast, you have terrorists amoung the naxalite movement. The Sri Lankans have their terrorists in the Jaffna. So we have terrorism as transnational actors who are not under the control of states or governments. But we can only curb, contain, and crush terrorism. If we do it collective and treat it as a enemy of humanity with no religion or territory. Pakistan has shown its sincerity by admitting that Kasab is a Pakistani and has shown seriousness in curbing this menace. Pakistan should be appreciated for that rather than the blame game being shifted. Old point scoring doesn't work anymore. India should not use Pakistan as a handle to win the forthcoming elections.
CNN-IBN: As you have been saying you have come out and said Ajmal Kasab is a Pakistani, but why doesn't the President make a statement. He has come on television before. Why doesn't he make a statement to this regard and bring that tempo down?
Mushahid Hussain: I am not a spokesman for the President or the government of Pakistan, I speak as a responsible Pakistani and as leader of a parliamentary party which is in opposition but I do feel that it is important that the truth should come out and let not there be a coverup and the Pakistani government should be handed over this plus side that we have not tried to cover it up and we have tried to move on with that. There has been incompetence. There has been lack of coordination within our system but basically our commitment to contain terrorism is second to none. And that has also be endorsed by our American friends, by our Saudi friends, by our Chinese friends and India also should show that kind of finese and ability to move on. Because I think India is stuck in the past. They were put pressure by the Americans to give the evidence to Pakistan and Pakistan acted on that evidence and India should not have procastinated for five long weeks. Otherwise, we could have resolved the issue of Kasab a long time ago.
CNN-IBN: Do you accept that the evidence that has been provided in the dossier is of credible nature, that it is the kind of evidence that demands for further investigations, would you at least also concede that now?
Mushahid Hussain: I think the truth must prevail. The evidence has to be analysed by our experts. I haven't seen the dossier as yet. Sometimes the Pakistanis can feel the dossier provided by the Indian police, a confession under police interrogation can be doctored as the police in south Asia is apt to do. Let's have a quick look with a comb and make sure every fact tallies with the situation on the ground. Pakistan should study the evidence and then act on the evidence and once it tallies with the facts on the ground. There is no reason for Pakistan to promote destabilisation of India. It is not in the national interest. It is not the interest in peace and security in south Asia and the peace process must not be reversed just because somebody wants to win the elections in India. That would be very unfortunate.
CNN-IBN: You are looking at it from a Pakistani perspective but I appreciate your joining us. You have been candid enough to clarify all that happened yesterday. You are saying that Kasab is a Pakistani and that has really been accepted but for the turf war within the Pakistani establishment.
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