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The US has been pressing Pakistan to step up its offensive against the Taliban but Islamabad has been reluctant to move troops from the eastern border as it considers India as its main threat.
US President Barack Obama, who met Zardari in Washington, has been trying to convince Pakistan that such a belief is "misguided" and that the terrorists inside the country pose the most serious threat to its security and safety.
"Let me tell you that we have moved some more (troops) recently because the action asked for it. If need be, we will move more," Zardari told the popular Charlie Rose Show on PBS on Friday when asked about the US request in this regard. Afghan President Hamid Karzai also appeared on the show.
"It was the demand based proposition, when the demand goes up, we shift. Whenever we have to move, we will have to move from that (Indian) border towards this (Afghan border)," Zardari said.
Zardari's comments came after the US said it continues to be concerned over the situation in Pakistan. Washington also voiced scepticism over assurances given by Zardari to Obama on the Taliban issue and made it clear that the country needs to "do more" to meet the threat.
Asked about the perceived threat from India, Zardari said the Indian border is sometimes hot and sometimes cold.
"But democracies are always trying to get friendly with each other... We are trying to improve our relationship with India, So we never talk war. Pakistan under a democratic system has never gone to war with India," he argued.
"At the same time, there is an active threat on the Afghan border from our side, from their side, from within the mountains, and that's where we're engaged today. Today's war for the perceivable future for the world and for us is that area," Zardari said indicating he is now convinced that the Taliban posed a serious security threat to his country.
"I can assure you that everybody in my government knows that the threat is to them. It is not a threat to you or anybody else," he said.
The Pakistani President said his country needs the equipments to successfully fight out the Taliban and al-Qaeda from within its territory. "We need much more help. And more technology. We need more helicopters, we need night vision equipment. I have even asked for the drones," he said.
Seeking to allay western apprehensions, Zardari assured that Pakistan's nuclear weapons are safe and it would never land in the hands of the Taliban or al-Qaeda.
The Pakistani President said the reports about an eminent Taliban taken over of Islamabad are a media creation.
"The Taliban are in the mountains, which are geographically 80 miles from Islamabad. They have always been there. Didn't show up yesterday. So if they take one hill top and try to take the others that does not mean that Islamabad is in danger," Zardari said.
But Washington made it known that it was not convinced with Zardari's assurances.
"I think both President Zardari and President (Hamid) Karzai went back to their countries with the understanding that there is some scepticism on the (Capitol) Hill and that Pakistan and Afghanistan are going to have to do more and take the steps that are necessary to deal with these threats, to alleviate some of the concerns that exist on Capitol Hill," State Department Acting Spokesman Robert Wood told reporters.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said, "Obviously, we continue to be concern about the situation and will watch it carefully."
Responding to a question on the ongoing military action by the army against the Taliban in the Swat Valley, Gibbs said, "we're heartened by the developments thus far".
However, Gibbs was quick to point out that it's something of deep concern to the president and to the national security team, and it is something which the US will continue to monitor.
"This has been on the President's radar for many years and something that the team and the President here spend an increasing amount of time watching to ensure that we continue to make progress," he said.
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Pakistan Army is responsible for its current plight. They have been manipulating all policies to keep the power in their hands, directly or indirectly, they seems to destablized their democratic institution by scaring them about Indian intentions, despite the fact India never attacked any country. Evidently, ISI's whole existence has been to destablize India. Unfortunately, the obsession and evil design encouraged Talibans, together they abused Islam and resulting as a divine punishment the complete region is facing the question of survival. Pakistan's army and ISI brought to brink the very existence of Pakistan by their disservice to Islam and muslim community.It not that Pakistan did not knew India had never a threat to Pakistan but they used this pretext to collect money from rich Arab Countries and USA to fill the Army and politician's pockets. Now that their game is up, Pakistan is cornered and has to declare that India is not a threat, which everyone knew from the day one
This is the time for India to help Pakistan to uproot its real enemy Taliban. We can live with Pakistan but not Taliban.
It is in Pakistan's own interest to control and eliminate terrorism. India has little interest in Pakistani territory,as amatter of fact India wants stable and sane Pakistani society. Unfortunately it is Pakistan who has bad designs and jealousy towards India. If Pakistan can control their terrorism in India then the whole region will be safe and pakistan can spend their time and money towards their own progress. It will save them going to USA with a begging bowl all the time. In such a scenario India will do her best to help Pakistan. Let Pakistan be a living example of destruction to those political parties and politicians in India who want to start terrorism in the name of religion. It is easy to gain short term adavantages by playing divisional politics but in the long run it destroys nations.
Normally, snakes endure the infection spreading from tale rather than biting itself. Pakistan is playing a never ending game hoping that a miracle will cure the infection. One must imagine the type of words he might have heard in Washington, which made him to speak those words. Sardari’s statement about peace with India is a lousy joke. It is only Indians who believe that Pakistani army is defensively positioned on its border with India to ward of an impending Indian attack. Neither would Pakistani leaders ever give up its dreams of retaking its “territory,” which it lost with the connivance of the British nor would it ever occur to it that Taliban is a threat to its own internal security. Taliban type of government is the aspirations of every male in those countries where they practice radical religious intolerance.
India never had attack pakistan. President zardari is only making excuses that India will attack pakistan. We are not living in a fools paradies. It looks like pakistan haven't got enough army to control their border. Pakistan is now become a puppet in front of American. Today situation pakistan is like a dog licking American. Just trying to take action against the taliban so that they can get the aid what they are looking for. On a whole Pakistan is in a financial crisis and do not want to tell the world what they are going thru. Good luck
ONE THING IS CERTAIN , IF PAKISTAN DOES NOT ELIMINATE THE SCOURGE OF TALIBAN FROM IT'S SOIL, THEY WILL NOT EXIST,
Wise decision I must say. India does not want to take over any Pakistani territory nor do we have the time, as we have enogh problems controlling our domain. Why move some troops- I believe you can move a lot more as Pakistan should not be threatened by us any way.
Taking away the forces from Indian border and deploy them in the troubled regions of Pakistan is the wisest thing that President Zardari can do at this juncture. A peaceful Pakistan is always a welcome entity for India. India has never had evil designs over Pakistan. Their democratic institutions, their leader and their army had let them down. Their society had never shown spunk. Recent strong support to reinstate C.J. was only an isolated instance. The first step of this great C.J. was: he freed the fanatic Mullah of Lal Masjid who has again started to spread the venom. For its own survival, all the arms of government must work together and defeat Taliban and the ideology behind it. There is not choice left for them. A secular Pakistan was the dream of Jinnah. The civil society of Pakistan must keep a close check over these dubious characters - behind the scene players like Nawaz, Imran, Fazal Ullah etc. As a civilized society they have to give full protection to their minorities.
Let us support establishment in Pakistan in fighting religious fundamentalism. We have already witnessed the ill effects of religious fundamnetalism - we have seen how fanatics demolished Babri, how the valley reacted to Amarnath Yatra and its arrangements like office for the Shrine Board in Srinagar or churches being burnt in some parts of the country. Let us jointly fight these fundametalist forces. We must assure Pakistan that we fully support them in their fight against Taliban and terrorists.
The statement of Prez Zardari to move troops manning Indian boderes to fight the Taliban and al-Quaida in NW Pak soil is the olny option left with the Pak Govt. The growing control of the jihadi forces in the Malakand division and loss of the writ of the Govt over wide swathes of Pak areas has raised the anxiety levels of Obama administration concerning the fate of Pak nuclear arsenals going to the hands of fanatics. So, US has raised the aid assistance to straving economy of the Pakistan. The shrewd Zardari was quick in his response and orderd full fledged millitary ofensive in Swat valley. But, what will happen to the terror training camps established in Pak adiminstered areas of Jammu and Kashmir. Zardari must stop the export of terror into J
In fact, India should long ago have encouraged Pakistan to shift its forces to fight the Taliban, and assured it not to fear its borders would be violated by the Indians. If the Taliban ever took over Pakistan, India would stand to loose itself in a quagmire of absolute terror. But it should also tell Pakistan that it would continue to fight off militants seeking to enter Kashmir or elsewhere into India. Pakistan, if it had any common sense, would police its own borders to see that this did not happen
Obama, by the time Zardu becomes a completely good boy, will look older by 50 years. He is doing a tough job