Pak N-programme for protection of Kashmir, Makkah, Madinah: Rehman

ISLAMABAD: Former Interior minister and Institute of Research and Reforms Chairman Abdul Rehman Malik has said Pakistan's nuclear programme is for the protection of Kashmir, Makkah and Madinah.

“Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto defended Pakistan by starting the country’s nuclear programme,” he said in an Interview with daily Jang and The News. He said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is staging a drama and his meetings with “puppet Occupied Kashmiri leaders” is just eyewash. The situation in Afghanistan is worrying for Pakistan as instability in Afghanistan can lead to another wave of terrorism in Pakistan. Pakistan has made great sacrifices for peace in Afghanistan and for the last four decades, Pakistan had to go through a lot of hardships because of Afghanistan.

He said as per the doctrine of Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the Afghan border is being protected with fencing and the Pak-Afghan border has become an international border. The Afghan leadership should acknowledge the sacrifices of Pakistan. “India has invested heavily in Hamid Karzai and his supporters,” he said.

He said the Indian foreign minister held a secret meeting with Taliban in Doha recently and the Taliban leadership is working with the RAW and other Indian agencies. “Recently the Badakhshan province governor was replaced by a new governor favorite to India,” he said, adding that the main objective is to increase anti-Pakistan activities.

Rehman Malik said the US withdrawal from Afghanistan without a political solution will have a dangerous impact on the region as Taliban are moving towards Kabul. So Ahmed Shah Masood, Northern Alliance, Abu Sayyaf Group, Mullah Yaqoob, Siraj Haqqani, Mullah Brothers and others should move ahead for the political solution as Pakistan helps them and played an important role for arranging the Doha dialogue. “Pakistan also played a role in an agreement between the United States and Taliban,” he said, adding that it is an opportunity to highlight Pakistan’s role, but they do not accept Pakistan’s mediation.

He said the situation in region is critical and if the international community does not realize the threats, there will be bloodshed in the region. “The pressure of Afghan refugees in Pakistan may increase again as they are currently at the Chaman border. “No one will be allowed to enter Pakistan without biometric identification as peace in the region is not the responsibility of Pakistan alone,” he said.

He demanded convening a SAARC conference and said all SAARC members should come forward for peace in the region. He said Taliban are just 23 miles away from Kabul and that is reason he is saying that Taliban, the government of Ashraf Ghani and other stakeholders should be consulted for the interim government which will hold elections within a specified period and transfer powers to the elected people. “If there is no political solution, there will be a lot of bloodshed and I see division of Afghanistan,” he said.

Referring to Kashmir, Malik said Occupied Kashmir has become a big prison and Indian Prime Minister Modi's meeting with “puppet former chief ministers” of Kashmir is a drama as the purpose is to tell the world that the Kashmir leadership is with Modi but the Hurriyat leadership is refusing to meet Modi. He said Pakistan cannot forget Kashmir as “our nuclear programme is for protecting Kashmir, Makkah and Madinah”.

“India is spending billions of dollars to weaken Pakistan but failed in its ulterior motives as competing with India at every front is our best defence,” he said. He suggested to Prime Minister Imran Khan to convene an All Parties Conference on the Afghan issue, nuclear programme and Kashmir to create national consensus, which would enhance national unity. He said the country has seen a lot of political turmoil and confrontation and now the people of Pakistan want a solution to their problems as only economically strong, politically peaceful, tolerant and acceptable to all Pakistan can be the guarantor of peace in the world. “The government should end confrontation with the opposition and resolve the issues through dialogue,” he suggested.