February 16, 2006 ☼ Foreign Affairs
This is an archived blog post from The Acorn.
Just over a month ago, Karan Thapar confronted Gen Musharraf on his free rein to the Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan.
President Musharraf:…Now, you have spoken about Manshera and you have spoken about LeT operating there for earthquake relief. LeT is not operating, it is Jamat-ud-Dawa.
Thapar: But it is the same organisation under a new name.
President Musharraf: No. Yes, I know that but it is not a banned organisation.
Thapar: But they have just changed name and continued?
President Musharraf: Well, it has linkages but it’s not the same. It has its linkages as long as it is there. It has not even been banned abroad. LeT is a banned organisation in the UN. This one is not banned.
Thapar: But it’s the same organisation, with the same man as the head.
President Musharraf: No, If they are there and they are carrying out relief operations, and they are doing a good job, I have no reason to stop anyone who is not banned and doing a good job or relief in the people. Why should I stop anyone? So, that’s the issue. [IBNLive]Taking time off from doing the ‘good job’, the Lashkar-e-Taiba was among the organisations that orchestrated the riots in Lahore and other parts of Pakistan earlier this week. Their involvement in rampaging through Lahore and wrecking property is the reason why the General should have stopped them. But he won’t even blame them.
President Gen Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and the federal cabinet on Wednesday issued stern warning to ‘hidden hands’ behind incidents of violence, arson and destruction of shops and businesses in the country taking advantage of the public sentiments against the blasphemous cartoons issue. [Dawn]
If you would like to share or comment on this, please discuss it on my GitHub
Previous © Copyright 2003-2024. Nitin Pai. All Rights Reserved.