Cease 'jihad', Pakistan tells Hizbul Mujahideen

The Times of India ^ | Februari 20 2004 | PTI

[knighthawk]

ISLAMABAD: As part of its ‘back channel’ diplomacy, Pakistan told militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen ahead of the just-concluded Indo-Pak talks that 'jihad' was no longer a feasible option to press for the resolution of the Kashmir issue and advised it to declare a ceasefire, Hizb sources said.

Pakistani officials met Hizbul leader Syed Salahuddin on the eve of the three-day official-level talks that concluded on Wednesday with the agreement on timetable and roadmap for resumption of the composite dialogue, and told him that "jihad (holy war) is no more a good strategy to seek the settlement of the Kashmir dispute," Hizbul sources were quoted as saying by the Friday Times weekly.

The meeting between Hizbul leaders and Pakistani officials was part of the ‘back channel’ diplomacy launched by government from January 6, the day India and Pakistan issued a joint statement after the meeting between Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and President Pervez Musharraf during which the General expressed his commitment not to let Pakistani territory to be used for terrorist activities against India.

During their meeting with Salahuddin, Pakistan government representatives told him that the rapidly-changing geopolitical circumstances require a change of strategy and jihad was no longer feasible, the report said.

Salahuddin was also told that jihad had achieved its purpose. "It has revived the dead issue of Kashmir at the global level. Now the time has come to employ diplomacy and politics to resolve this issue," he was told.

The weekly said Pakistan government also applied some psychological pressure on Salahuddin. "He was given the example of the seven Hijbul Mujahideen guerrillas who surrendered before the Director General of Police Gopal Sharma (in Srinagar) on February 14 and (was) told that India had acquired state-of-the-art satellite signal interception capability from Israel that had helped it reach Ghulam Rasool Dar and Abbas Rahi, the two key Hizb commanders who were killed by the Indian security forces last month."

[knighthawk]

Ping

[TADSLOS]

During their meeting with Salahuddin, Pakistan government representatives told him that the rapidly-changing geopolitical circumstances require a change of strategy and jihad was no longer feasible

In other words, RUN FOR YOUR LIVES, The satanic Americans are coming!!

[nuconvert]

The news would have been a lot better, if Pakistan had told
Hizbul Mujahideen to disband and cease terrorist acvtivities immediately.

[swarthyguy]

is there any damn doubt that Pak is a jiahdi state, through and through? is more proof reqd than a state official twisting a jihadis arms.

How many lives does mush have?

Fat chance i say, the equivalent of a temporary truce to build up strength.

Just a delay until the jihad starts again.

[witnesstothefall]

The Islamists have already declared Musharrif an infidel and worse. He is a dead man walking, and has been. This will only quicken events to destabilize and/or decapitate the General's gov't.

Amazing nobody discusses the probable imminence of a Pakistan sans Musharrif. That country is radioactive, figuratively and literally.