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Pakistan politics

This refers to the editorial “Dangerous time for Benazir” (Oct. 20) on the twin bomb blasts at Karachi that left 140 dead. October 19, when the fundamentalists attacked the convoy of the former Prime Minister and PPP leader, Benazir Bhutto, on her return after eight years of self-imposed exile, will go down as the blackest day in the history of independent Pakistan. Ms Bhutto who has resolved to restore democracy in Pakistan should be given adequate protection by the government.

Mani Natarajan,

Civilian rule has always been interrupted by a military coup in Pakistan and leaders have been overthrown on charges of corruption and misrule. Hence democracy has never been given a chance to take firm root in the country. Political parties too have failed to inspire the people to meet the serious challenges thrown up by military regimes and fundamentalist parties. The Karachi massacre is a clear pointer to the fact that terrorism has reached unprecedented levels. The rulers, crying foul after Pakistan became a victim of the forces it helped nurture, must realise their folly and redefine their strategy of governance.

R. Srinivasan,

Though President Pervez Musharraf received help and support from the U.S. to rein in the terror outfits operating on its soil, he was reluctant to shut down the terrorist training camps. But the U.S. continued to bank on Gen. Musharraf, which is why it continued to support the military rule over democracy under a civilian leader. The fall in his popularity rate forced the U.S. to clip his wings through a deal with a popular leader.

The task cut out for Ms Bhutto will be enormous under a powerful and ambitious President whose ties with the army remain intact. The future is nothing but uncertain for Pakistan.

Capt. T. Raju (retd.),

The article “A war without frontiers” (Oct. 20) is a telling commentary on the role of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence in breeding terrorism. The organisations nurtured by it have now gone out of its control.

When the pressure on Gen. Musharraf to rein in the terrorists increased, the ISI wanted the outfits to be firewalled from the West but kept as ready shooters against India. The article has exposed how the terrorist groups gained strength to oppose Gen. Musharraf himself when he sought to quell terrorism.

N. Hariharan,

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