ISLAMABAD, 13 November 2005 — Mushahid Hussain Syed, secretary-general of Pakistan Muslim League, says that it is India, which by putting undue pressure on smaller states in South Asia, which is creating instability in the region.
These smaller states are not “failed states” as Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had termed them on Friday, Mushahid said in an telephonic interview from Dubai.
He said, it was India who encouraged the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, interfered in the internal affairs of Nepal and created numerous problems for Bangladesh and Pakistan. He said this kind of pressures and interference weaken small states but they cannot be termed as “failed states”.
“India has in the past supported dissidents in Nepal to destabilize that country. By doing that India in fact weaken these states.”
Leading analysts of Islamabad termed the Indian premier’s statement just before the SAARC Summit at Dhaka as unfortunate. Manmohan made this statement at the 40th anniversary of Institute of Defense Studies and Analysis in New Delhi on Friday.
Fahad Hussain, resident editor of News, in his comment said from Dhaka that just when Pakistan and India are engaged in a peace process and are trying to evolve new confidence building measures this kind of statement only leaves bad taste. Both Pakistan and India have jointly supported the candidacy of Afghanistan for its regular membership of SAARC. However India opposes the entry of China in regional club.
Professor Tariq Cheema, an analyst of South Asian Affairs, was of the view that though Manmohan made no pointed comment toward Pakistan, his very statement was wrong. Smaller neighboring states of India cannot be termed as ‘failed states’. Pakistan is certainly not in this category as it is playing an important role as an US ally in combating terrorism.
