Question: What has caused the friction between India and Pakistan?

Answer: Kashmir has bedeviled us since 1947. The present crisis began when the Indian government held its first elections in Kashmir. They were not fair so the Kashmiris protested and the protest became a freedom struggle. The Indians have used force to put down the struggle. Almost 70,000 Kashmiri lives have been lost and India blames Pakistan for supporting the struggle for freedom by sending Pakistanis across the border in various militant groups. Our stance is that we have never sponsored these groups but if some individuals have infiltrated into Kashmir, they have done it on their own.

Q.: How did the present troubles begin?

A.: Following Sept. 11, India began to implicate Pakistan, hoping that the Americans would turn on us. India offered its bases and support to the US and a massive propaganda campaign was launched. The campaign alleged that Pakistan was the source of terrorism and that Osama Bin Laden was protected by the Taleban, which had been put in power by Pakistan. According to India, the Americans should have launched a war against Pakistan. We in Pakistan, however, decided to stand against terrorism and this of course stunned the Indians.

Q.: What about the attack on the Indian Parliament in New Delhi?

A.: Immediately after the attack, one Indian minister said Pakistan had carried it out. As there were no identification documents on the attackers, how could they be so quickly identified? Another minister said that the attackers were speaking Kashmiri. The fact is that they were dead before they could utter a word. There were about seven cameras mounted outside the building, recording the events. How could this have been the case without prior planning? Surprisingly, no MPs were harmed. When the Indians accused us of masterminding the attack, we said, "We condemn the attack. Produce evidence and we will take action against the guilty." India refused to produce any evidence; we were presented with a list of 20 suspects and asked to hand them over.

We have no extradition treaty with India. We are an independent entity, with our own courts and laws and try our own criminals. We refused to give in but we offered our services in joint investigations.

The Indians refused. The US put the FBI at India’s disposal but their help was also spurned. Then the Indians began mobilizing along our common border. The buildup has continued and they have even brought forces from their eastern borders to the Pakistani border. With so many troops, they are capable of undertaking a major offensive. In response to their moves, we naturally moved our forces into positions facing them.

Q.: Has President Musharraf acquiesced to international pressure? Is he trying to rein in the country’s jihadi groups?

A.: No, he has not acquiesced. When President Musharraf came to power, it was decided that Pakistan had to rein in terrorism and militancy. Many lives had been lost and militant groups such as Sipah-e-Sahaba and Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Fiqh Jaafariyah had been killing one another indiscriminately. Pakistan was not safe for investors. So on 14 Aug. last year, President Musharraf announced a ban on Lashkar-e-Jhangavi and Sipah-e-Muhammad and put Sipah-e-Sahaba and Tehrik-e-Nifaz-Fiqh Jaafariyah under observation. A committee was set up to look into the Madrassas (religious schools) which proliferated during the Afghan War. There are almost 12,000 and while many are forward-looking and doing a wonderful job, others are not. We ordered all of them to register with the authorities within three months, and disclose their sources of income.

Their statements were to be audited. The government allocated a substantial part of Zakah to them. Their curricula must be revised and secular subjects added so that their graduates are fit to do more than simply be imams of mosques. These decisions were all made before Sept. 11.

Q.: Will you stop supporting Kashmiris in their struggle?

A.: No, we won’t. We will never abandon them politically or diplomatically. UN resolutions state that Kashmiris should be given choices. We have invited India to negotiate rather than fight a war. Our president offered the hand of friendship to Vajpayee in Katmandu. We are both nuclear states and a small mistake could spell doom for millions.

Though India is the largest democracy in the world, it still denies Kashmiris their fundamental democratic rights.

Q.: It is said that the Taleban came to power because of the Pakistani ISI. As a former ISI director general what is your reaction? Is the allegation true?

A.: Not at all. The Taleban were the result of disasters brought about by the old Mujahedeen commanders. They never needed to buy arms from abroad since those left by the Soviets and the Americans were sufficient. They raised money by smuggling and selling drugs. We in Pakistan sold them petrol but even that stopped when they began to smuggle it in from Iran at a cheaper price. They were never dependent on us which is why they wouldn’t listen to us. They gave refuge to all our criminals. We demanded them back and they refused. They harbored murderers such as Riaz Basra. We asked them to reopen girls’ schools and they refused. They had no idea about the rest of the world, nor any knowledge of international relations or economics. They ran Afghanistan like a village. We recognized them but exercised no influence on them. To gain influence on an Afghan, one must have either a lot of money or a lot of weapons. We lacked the former and they did not need the latter.

Q.: How do you feel about the present Afghan government?

A.: We support the present Afghan government. Afghanistan must maintain good relations with Pakistan since it is a land-locked country. If Afghanistan is to be stable and at peace, it must allow a multinational force until a national army is created.

Otherwise, when the foreign force leaves, there will be civil war. Historically, we have recognized every government, which effectively controlled Afghanistan.

Though Najibullah was a Russian puppet, we recognized him because he was effective; we recognized Rabbani and then the Taleban who controlled 90 percent of the territory. Now we recognize Karzai’s administration. After all, it is not for us to decide who is to rule Kabul.

Q.: Will you use a nuclear device?

A.: Having a capability is one thing while making use of that capability is another. The consequences of using a nuclear device would be so horrible that one must think very carefully before even considering it.

It might be a possibility if Pakistan were being totally destroyed totally. If war breaks out, we will fight conventionally.