In a startling admission, former chief of India’s premier intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) Amarjit Singh Dulat said Indian intelligence agencies over the years often paid militants and separatists along with mainstream politicians and political parties in India-held Kashmir to compete for influence with Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). In an interview with NDTV’s high-profile TV anchor Barkha Dutt ahead of the launch of his book, ‘Kashmir: The Vajpayee Years’, Dulat asked: “So what’s wrong? What is there to be so shocked or scandalised by. It’s done the world over.”He defended the use of money in India-held Kashmir, saying it was done in the hope of engaging militants and separatists.Speaking about his controversial memoir, Dulat divulged that the Indian government had on quite a few occasions paid for air fares, medical treatment and general upkeep of pro-Pakistan separatists like Syed Ali Shah Geelani.Dulat also revealed that he had been in touch with one of India’s most wanted terrorists and the leader of Hizbul Mujahideen Syed Salahuddin, who the ex-RAW chief said was ready to leave Pakistan and return to India.The admission by Dulat should be an eye opener for Pakistan and the rest of the world that India could go to any extent to purchase loyalties of people for carrying out its plans. Though it is no more a secret but should be a reminder to those Pakistanis who argue for good relations with New Delhi that India is using the money and arms to destabilize Pakistan. It is massively funding anti-state elements in Balochistan and has hired underground agents to carry out terrorist activities in Karachi. While we favour good relations on the basis of sovereign equality but unless and until there is trust on the sincerity of each other, relationship cannot be sustained. We would thus impress upon India, that being a major power in the region, it should establish its trust in the neighbouring countries by holding serious and resulted oriented talks for resolution of lingering disputes including Kashmir where people are suffering from the atrocities of occupation forces instead of bribing a few to keep them on New Delhi’s side.
pk.shafaqna.com
