TOI Patna 27-12-08

Pakistan must put an end to war hype

New Delhi : Pakistani newspapers prominently reported the unanimous resolution adopted by the National Assembly calling for an end to ‘war hype’ and urging collaboration with India to investigate the truth behind the Mumbai terrorist attacks.
Karachi-based ‘Dawn’ wrote on Thursday. "The text of the resolution, which also condemned the devastating attacks and reaffirmed Pakistan’s desire to pursue ‘constructive engagement with India’, seemed milder than a lot of rhetoric that dominated the debate." Interestingly, the resolution urged the international community to ensure that "India also dismantles its terror networks", the paper said.
Winding up the 10 day long debate, parliamentary affairs minister Babar Awan was reported to have visualized horrific on consequences of another war between the two now nuclear-armed rivals and said: "Rose petals cannot rain in a war between two nuclear countries." Writing in the ‘Daily News’, (retd) Lt General Talat Massod says that from a western perspective, apart from focusing on the fight against terrorists on the Western front, another significant development is that "lines between alqaida and LeT are getting blurred and the two are reinforcing each other." Incidentally, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan’s offer of support to the Pakistan army if there’s a war with India barely got a mention in the English press.
However, Urdu dailies are still in the grip of war hysteria. Daily "Ausaf’ says that India has already identified 5,000 places to target in case of a war. Attributing a statement to chief of the air force (Western Command) Air Marshal PK Borbora, the paper said 5,000 places in Pakistan had been identified and if asked to act, the Indian Air Force could start attacking within six hours of notice. The paper said Indian could secure its western airspace within two hours while Pakistan would be smashed if war breaks out. The daily ‘Jasarat’ lashed out at Pakistani entertainment industry for promoting Indian movies and serials. "The Economist’, in a piece entitled ‘United against the wrong enemy’, has put it best: "If Pakistan’s leaders had ever united against Islamist militancy as they have against India over the past three weeks, their country would not be the violent mess that it is. Tough words for us to swallow perhaps, but nevertheless true."
The ‘Frontier Post’ too criticized the government for its ‘diplomatic paralysis’ in the face of "Indian-American-British onslaught". It wrote, "The Pakistan leadership must launch into a diplomatic effort to put across to the world community Pakistan’s position, which intrinsically is very sound." The News’ quoted the adviser to PM on interior Rehman Malik as saying. "There was no truth in media stories reporting that war was imminent. The leadership in India and Pakistan was mature enough and the people of both the countries did not want war."