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Ambassador Qazi's letter to the Chairman 9/11 Commission
The Ambassador noted that Pakistan, as a matter of policy, had always maintained diplomatic relations with the sitting government in Kabul, irrespective of its political and ideological inclinations, including its policies towards Pakistan. This had been a geopolitical necessity because the two countries have a common border that is inhabited by populations with close links on either side of it. Accordingly, it was not practicable for Pakistan to eschew ties with any government in Kabul. The Ambassador recalled that Pakistan maintained diplomatic relations even with hostile regimes in Kabul, including the Communist regimes of Tarakai and Hafizullah Amin, and the Soviet imposed regimes of Babrak Karmal and Najibullah.
The Ambassador underlined that maintaining diplomatic relations with the Taliban regime did not imply Pakistan’s approval or endorsement of its policies. On the contrary, Pakistan had tried its best to persuade the Taliban regime to take account of international opinion and to comply with UN Security Council resolutions, including the handing over of Osama Bin Laden to an appropriate tribunal to answer charges against him.
According to the Ambassador, it was simply inaccurate to state that Pakistan in any way enabled the Taliban to harbour Osama Bin Laden. The Ambassador pointed out that the Taliban were simply not open to discussion on this matter. The Ambassador explained that the Taliban dependence on Osama Bin Laden developed with the increase in their international isolation. That was the pragmatic reason why Pakistan did not support the isolation of the Taliban regime despite its distaste for their policies.
The Ambassador recalled that Pakistan had very limited influence with the Taliban and that whatever influence it had, contrary to the allegations in the press story cited above, was an influence on behalf of moderation and reason, rather than extremism and violence.
The Ambassador termed the allegation that “Osama Bin Laden trained fighters for Pakistan’s struggle with India over Kashmir” as “inaccurate and misleading”. The Ambassador explained that the Kashmiris’ struggle for freedom predates the arrival of Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan and is rooted in the alienation of the Kashmiri people and their determination to resist military occupation and repression. To imply that the freedom struggle in occupied Kashmir owes anything to Osama Bin Laden is just about as unfair as one can get.
The Ambassador also strongly dispelled the notion that the Government of Pakistan had in any way facilitated Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. He pointed out that Pakistan, on the contrary, saw the growing influence of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan as a threat to its own security and a recipe for disaster in Afghanistan. In cooperation with the UN, the US and other neighbours of Afghanistan, Pakistan sought to minimize external influences in Afghanistan and apprised the Taliban of the dangers their association with Al Qaeda spelled for Afghanistan.
The Ambassador said it was particularly disappointing
to read these allegations at a time when Pakistani soldiers are sacrificing
their lives and President Musharraf had risked his personal safety in
fight against Al Qaeda, Taliban and other extremist elements. He concluded
that it was no exaggeration to say that as a result of the cooperation
between Pakistan and US the back of Al Qaeda had been broken and a re-visitation
of the awful tragedy of September 11, 2001 had been rendered extremely
unlikely 22 June, 2004
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