Seven Questions: Pakistan’s War on Terror

Foreign Policy: Mumbai just suffered a series of deadly train bombings. If Kashmiri militants are found to be responsible, would that damage the peace process with India?

Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri: I dont know. The last time there were some killings in Bombay, [people] instinctively came to the conclusion that it was militants among Indian Muslims, Kashmiris, or Muslims with a base in Pakistan. Ultimately, it turned out to be Indians. So, I dont want to rush into it. All Ill say is that it is completely counterproductive to speculate, and we condemn [the attacks] unreservedly. Killing of the innocent in this manner cannot be justified under any circumstance. Even the war of liberation has its own rules.

FP: Kashmiri militants believe that their region is under occupation. Do they have a right to resist?

KMK: Absolutely. But we are telling the militants that they should adopt the method that President Musharraf has suggested, which is a negotiated settlement that takes into consideration the aspirations of the people of Kashmir. But we live in a real world. In fact, the international community has singularly failed in implementing any resolutions with respect to Muslim countries. That is why there is so much bitterness.

FP: Theres a flap in Washington about whether President Hamid Karzai is a strong enough leader for Afghanistan. Whats your perspective?

KMK: President Karzai has our sympathy. We have supported him. All I will say is that there are many problems [in Afghanistan]. Depending on who you speak to, about 5080 percent of the [gross domestic product] of Afghanistan comes from poppy cultivation. There is the connection with the drug lords and the warlords. Even people appointed to the provinces need protection from the Taliban. The Taliban own the country, particularly the borders along Pakistan.

FP: Would you concede that some fighters still cross the border from Pakistan?

KMK: Absolutely, no doubt about it. No army in the world can stop this from happening. [The United States] cant stop Mexicans coming in who arent one tenth as dangeroustheyre not suicide bombers, they will not kill the American army. Its a completely different thing with Afghanistan. Going near [the Taliban] is asking for death.

We suggested mining the border, and [the Afghans] said, Dont. So we said, OK, lets fence the border. And they said, Please dont. Families live on both sides. So we suggested building a fence, and providing exit and entry points at short distances. No response. [The Afghans] dont want the refugees, they dont want the border mined, they dont want the border fenced, and they dont have the troops to stop the fighters because the combined strength of the Americans, the Europeans, and the Afghans is less than the strength of the Pakistani Army [in the border areas]. So what do they want? For us to become magicians!

FP: Have international special forces crossed the border into Pakistan in hot pursuit of the Taliban?

KMK: No, we wont allow them. It would not suit our interests, not suit their interests, and rile up the local population, who would go after them like hell. Those who know the Pashtun area [know that] once you kill somebody, the only reason for the existence of those who survive is to kill the killer. The best thing is to share timely intelligence. That is what we have been telling the Afghansif you know where Mullah Omar is, and hes been hiding in such-and-such a place, tell us. Dont tell us six months later.

FP: Are there still elements within the Pakistani intelligence community who are supporting the Taliban?

KMK: The Pakistani Army, as even its worst critics will admit, is a highly disciplined organization. It has a record since the First World War of having distinguished itself. That sort of an army does not allow people to develop their personal agendas. Ninety-five percent of our [intelligence] officers are from the army. It is outlandish to believe that any colonel or major would have the guts to defy [his superiors]. He would be court-martialed and much worse. Yet the rumor persists. Why? Because of the track record [of past Pakistani support for the Taliban] and human nature. But there are easier explanations [for Afghanistans troubles]: poppy cultivation, the nexus between drug lords and warlords, corruption. Why dont people focus on that?

FP: Musharraf has promised to give up his army post and become a civilian president. He still hasnt done so. Do you believe it is important for Pakistans image in the world that he give up his uniform after the general elections in 2007?

KMK: Yes, I believe it is in the interests of Pakistan that there are free and fair elections, and that the president act in accordance with the constitution. He has said he will do so, and I have no reason to doubt that he will.

Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri is Pakistans foreign minister.