Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Untrue

Pervez Musharraf's book, In the Line of Fire, has exposed him as a chronic liar. To start with, he lied about Kargil to his Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He now maintains that Pakistan won the Kargil war. When he became an ally of the U.S. in its `war on terror,' he said he was not under pressure but now claims that the U.S. threatened to bomb Pakistan into the Stone Age.

He affirms that the Pakistani territory is not being used for terrorist activity but the entire world knows that jihadis are trained in the country's madrasas. Every now and then, he says he will shed his uniform but continues to wear it without qualms. Should India still do business with him?

Col. Ram Gulrajani (retd),
Chennai
During the Kargil fiasco, the General claimed that no Pakistani soldiers were involved and even refused to accept their bodies. Now he talks of a victory in Kargil. Why didn't his country give even a decent funeral to its brave soldiers who gave it a "victory?" Why was the "victory" not celebrated? It is a shame that General Musharraf's obsession with himself has overshadowed his country's interest.

Unfortunately for Pakistan, the person who has stated the untruth is the self-proclaimed President, Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces and army chief, all rolled into one. Imagine a General proudly claiming that the U.S. paid his country millions of dollars for apprehending Al Qaeda suspects. I wish someone comes out with a sequel to In the Line of Fire as many referred to in the book have contradicted him. It will be a bestseller.

Vikas Sethi,
Pune

The book ought to be labelled fiction rather than autobiography. Gen. Musharraf blithely turning Pakistan's military rout in the Kargil conflict into a victory, and casting aspersions on the indigenousness of India's nuclear capability have outraged Indians. But we can take heart from the fact that the book has also made the hackles of the Pakistani Opposition and Americans rise.

His scandalous claim that he had no choice but to join the U.S.-led war on terror, coupled with the retraction of his claim that the CIA paid the Pakistani Government money for handing over Al-Qaeda suspects, exposes him.

Nalini Vijayaraghavan,
Thiruvananthapuram

President Musharraf 's claim that India's uranium enrichment programme could have its roots in A.Q. Khan's clandestine network is laughable. His statement is intended to sully the Indian nuclear programme. He should substantiate his charge, not make claims based on intuition.

Upendra Yadav,
Ghaziabad, U.P.

Quibbling seems to be General Musharraf's forte. When terrorists indulged in a macabre dance in Jammu and Kashmir, he euphemistically described it as their freedom struggle. He attributes the failure of the Agra summit to some imaginary humiliation heaped on him and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. But Mr. Vajpayee has clarified that the General is to blame for the failure.

India has suffered cross-border terrorism launched by outfits on Pakistani soil, patronised overtly or covertly by Gen. Musharraf. Is it not an irony, then, for him to call himself a victim of terrorism?

Vengarai S. Raman,
Thanjavur

The editorial "Stay the course" (Sept. 23) says dialogue alone can help in the resolution of conflicts between India and Pakistan and the joint anti-terror mechanism should be given a chance. But Islamabad has made it amply clear that the persons who are responsible for bomb blasts, plane hijacks and terrorist activities in India enjoy a "different" status in Pakistan. In fact, they are considered "freedom fighters." If they are freedom fighters, who are we? What is the value of the lives of security personnel and people who died in Pakistan-sponsored terror attacks? India should think again about the credibility of the "anti-terrorism institutional mechanism."

Vinit Tandon,
Varanasi, U.P.

It is hope that keeps one going, even in times of utter despair. But the hope that something positive will emerge from the talks with Pakistan has only drained our resources. Innumerable rounds of talks, conferences and summits at different levels for six decades and a slew of friendly gestures by India have borne no fruit. Almost all terrorists perpetrating subversive activities in India are connected to Pakistan. And now In the Line of Fire speaks volumes of the person at the helm of Pakistani affairs.

Salil Gewali,
Shillong

History bears testimony to the fact that violence is not a permanent solution to problems. Talks should be held seriously to settle disputes once and for all. This will not only end the woes of Kashmiris, who have been bearing the brunt of the strained relations between the two countries for over half a century, but will also result in overall development in the subcontinent.

Anjum Husain,
Anantnag, J&K

Indian civil society should give serious consideration to Gen. Musharraf's "out of the box" solution to the Kashmir issue. The pre-1947 princely state consisted of the Kashmir Valley, Jammu, Ladakh and the Northern Territories. The people of these regions have an entirely different ethos for religious, linguistic and ethnic reasons. Even "Panun Kashmir" representing Kashmiri Pandits is advocating a four-way division of Jammu & Kashmir. Our passion for secularism should not obscure geo-political realities.

V.R. Sridharan,
Coimbatore

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