Musharraf wanted war over Kashmir, says Benazir

[EagleEyes]

Musharraf wanted war over Kashmir, says Benazir

Daily Times Monitor

LAHORE: Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto claims in a revised version of her autobiography that while she was in government, General Pervez Musharraf, then a major general and director of military operations, twice offered to “conquer” Kashmir for Pakistan, according to a report in Outlook India.

“In a revised edition of her autobiography, Benazir Bhutto: Daughter of the East, released in bookshops in India this week, the protagonist makes some startling revelations,” writes Sanjay Suri in the report.

Daughter of the East was first published by Hamish Hamilton in 1988. The revised edition has been issued by Simon & Schuster, who also published Musharraf’s autobiography last year.

Benazir records in detail a conversation with Musharraf in 1996: “I once again heard how Pakistan would take Srinagar if only I gave the orders to do so. Musharraf concluded the briefing with the words that a ceasefire would be in place and Pakistan would be in control of Srinagar, the capital of Indian-held Kashmir. I asked him, ‘And what next?’. He was surprised by my question, and said, ‘Next we will put the flag of Pakistan on the Srinagar Parliament’.

“‘And what next?’ I asked the general.

“‘Next you will go to the United Nations and tell them that Srinagar is in Pakistan’s control’.

“‘And what next?’ I pushed on. I could see General Musharraf had not been prepared for this grilling and was getting flustered. He said, ‘And you will tell them to change the map of the world taking into consideration the new geographical realities’.

“‘And do you know what the United Nations will tell me?’ I looked General Musharraf straight in the eye, as the army chief sat silently by and the room grew still, and pointedly said, ‘They will pass a Security Council resolution condemning us and demanding that we unilaterally withdraw from Srinagar, and we will have got nothing for our efforts but humiliation and isolation.’ I then abruptly ended the meeting.”

That was the second time an offer to conquer Kashmir was made, Benazir writes. She had earlier received “offers” for Pakistan to take over Srinagar during her first term as prime minister from December 2, 1988, to August 6, 1990.

Benazir also writes about an offer from Afghan Arabs and Pakistani militant groups in 1990. “Using the good offices of the ISI, they informed me that one hundred thousand battle-hardened mujahideen were willing to go into Kashmir to assist the Kashmiri freedom movement and somehow were confident about defeating the much larger Indian army. Knowing that any such transnational support would hurt rather than help the Kashmiri people, I vetoed the idea.”

Then army chief General Aslam Beg had, she said, asked her to approve a new policy. “He said that if Islamabad went on ‘offensive defensive’, it could capture Srinagar.... General Beg told me, ‘Prime Minister, you just give the order and your men will take Srinagar and you will wear the crown of victory and of glory.’ I thought he had lost all sense of reality.”

The new edition has a preface and a new chapter, ‘Prime Minister and Beyond’, containing further revelations.

Benazir makes clear she never liked or respected Musharraf. When she was prime minister, she writes, “I declined to make him (Musharraf) my military secretary. We initially refused his promotion because of his suspected though unproven links to the ethnic, often violent party known as the Mohajir Qaumi Movement (MQM).”

Benazir says she okayed an ISI proposal during the days of the Najibullah regime in Afghanistan for the Pakistani military to take Kabul alongside the mujahideen. “When I insisted that we explore a peaceful, orderly transfer of power in Kabul with Shevardnadze (then Soviet foreign minister), my intelligence chief said, ‘Prime Minister, will you deny your men and the Afghan mujahideen the right to march victoriously into Kabul and pray in the masjid together after all the sacrifices they have made?’ This emotional plea worked ... surely the Afghan parties and our military boys deserved to validate their victory with a triumphal entry into Kabul, which I was assured would take place within days.”

This never happened, and soon the intelligence agency came back to her, suggesting a joining of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Benazir writes: “I rejected the idea of a confederation with Afghanistan. ‘This will give the Indians an excuse to intervene in Afghanistan. And without American, Saudi and Iranian support it will land us in bigger trouble,’ I replied.”

Benazir writes that support and money was coming to madrassas and the ISI all through the days of Zia-ul-Haq’s dictatorship. “Fund-raising activities across the Muslim world was established where the faithful would make contributions for education, health and food for the poor and needy. The money went into the political madrassas that claimed they were teaching and feeding the orphans from the refugee camps, but in fact were proselytising hatred and terrorism. International funds poured in but were diverted to the ISI headquarters.”

She says the ISI head once proposed an intelligence corps to ensure continuity, make sure that all senior appointments are screened through the ISI so as to maintain security control over and defend the ideological frontiers of the country.

Benazir writes: “I was being asked to authorise and legitimise the creation of ‘a state within a state’ that would manipulate every aspect of life in Pakistan, including subsequent elections. I refused. However, after my overthrow, the interim prime minister brought by the ISI, Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, put their scheme in place.”

She writes that Osama Bin Laden tried to overthrow her government. “Although Osama Bin Laden had not yet formed Al Qaeda in 1989, I first heard his name when he funded a no-confidence bill to overthrow my first government. Though he had returned to Saudi Arabia following the withdrawal of the Soviets in February 1989, he was called back to Pakistan when I asserted authority over the ISI in May. Bin Laden was asked by the ISI … to help overthrow the democratic government and install a theocratic rule in Pakistan.” Bin Laden, she said, paid $10 million to buy off her political supporters.

“Around this time I received a report that a Saudi plane had landed in Pakistan loaded with mango boxes. Since Saudi Arabia grows dates and not mangoes, we were quite suspicious. The civilian intelligence found that the boxes did not contain mangoes but rather money.” One of the Saudi King’s advisors, she said, “identified the source of the money as Osama bin Laden”.

And then: “I went to the US embassy and personally called President George Bush (Sr). I told the president that the military hardliners who had supported the mujahideen were attempting to bring down my government with the help of extremists and that foreign money was pouring into Pakistan.”

She writes elsewhere that she was often hesitant to use her own phone because it was tapped by the ISI.

Benazir lost the elections in August 1990. “I believe that the age of the terrorist war actually coincided with the conclusion of the Pakistani elections in 1990 and the formation of the Nawaz regime.” The ISI, she writes, chose Ramzi Yusuf, who planned the first attack on the World Trade Centre in 1993, to assassinate her during her election campaign that year. He failed, and “was extradited, on my order, to the United States”. That was after Benazir was elected prime minister for the second time that year, and found herself, she says, taking on the extremists again.

“I really do think that there is at least some degree of causality that most major terrorist attacks took place when the extremists did not have to deal with a democratic Pakistani government... this includes both the 1993 and 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, the Bombay blasts, the Indian Parliament attack, the attack on the US embassies in Africa and the uss Cole in Yemen.” Her government was dismissed for the second time on November 4, 1996.

That brought in Nawaz Sharif again. “Under Nawaz, the Taliban changed colour and character. They killed Iranian diplomats and allowed Bin Laden, in 1998, to declare war on the West from their (Afghanistan) soil.”

But Nawaz’s “marriage of convenience” with the military and ISI did not last long, she says. “They ostensibly fell out over fighting in the area known as Kargil, both blaming the other for the misadventure.” Pakistan suffered heavy casualties, she said. “An army-connected friend informed me that the dead bodies of soldiers were kept in frozen lockers and released in small tranches to prevent the news spreading of the high casualties inflicted during the conflict.”

She sees Musharraf continuing the support to terrorism, though he’s been trying to convince the international community that “he was the only obstacle in the way of a fundamentalist take-over of nuclear-armed Pakistan”, Benazir writes. “Tragically, there are still some that once again have bought into this charade.” She adds, “The militant cells, meantime, are intact.”

Finally, Benazir writes: “So as I prepare to return to an uncertain future in Pakistan in 2007, I fully understand the stakes not only for myself, and my country, but the entire world. I realise I can be arrested ... I can be gunned down on the airport tarmac when I land.” But return she will, she says. “I do what I have to do, and am determined to fulfil my pledge to the people of Pakistan to stand by them in their democratic aspirations...Democracy in Pakistan is not just important for Pakistanis, it is important for the entire world.”

 

[kidwaibhai]

oh my god this lady is crazy.This is not only sad but a pathetic attempt to come in power by making pakistan and the ISI look bad. I mean this lady has done some pathetic things before but this is by far the most pathetic ever. i think she should be charged for treason.

 

[PakSniper]

I hope she gets gunned downed on the tarmac at the air-port. She has hit an all time low. I pray to see the day she gets' shot, Kennedy style but 10X worse.

 

[Goodperson]

This lady has guts, She published the book even after she made deal with Musharaf and slated to comeback for election.
I am wondering what is stopping Musharaf now? He can capture Srinagar and win elections easily.

 

[Muradk]

oh my god this lady is crazy.This is not only sad but a pathetic attempt to come in power by making pakistan and the ISI look bad. I mean this lady has done some pathetic things before but this is by far the most pathetic ever. i think she should be charged for treason.

That is treason stupid ***** should be hanged for telling the whole world this fine people knew what happed but not in details, for power she will do everything and she has done a lot in the past to get power.
That was one reason that army never allowed her to visit any of the Nuclear sites they knew she will open her big ugly mouth.

 

[Awesome]

Those were just rumors. I suspect that, that deal has hit south and hence this new chapter in a revised edition. She has said this time n time again, about PA wanting to capture Kashmir, which was obvious... But only this time she remembers this proposal by Musharraf.

 

[sword9]

I am not concerned about what Benazir states, as these are well known facts, however she is doing an excellent job in embarassing the Pak armed forces although Musharraf is her main target.

Coming to the main point about Benazir's integrity. A simple due diligence carried out by a bank on her and her son, paints her as a fraudster and thief (albet a wellspoken thief). She has in excess of $60 million of stolen money made from corruption and bribes.

She cannot even open a bank account in any reputable international bank with such a controversial financial history, but she hopes to will an election in Pakistan.

Imran Khan is a better bet for Pakistani politics than that woman or her elk.

 

[Interceptor]

Musharraf is traitor to the country he is brought nothing but choas and his millitary dictatorship shouldnt be applauded because that is just treason!!!

Benazir isn't an obinary person she is the daughter of Zulficar Ali. And if she comes back in power she will only bring back true democracy.

 

[Interceptor]

I am not concerned about what Benazir states, as these are well known facts, however she is doing an excellent job in embarassing the Pak armed forces although Musharraf is her main target.

Coming to the main point about Benazir's integrity. A simple due diligence carried out by a bank on her and her son, paints her as a fraudster and thief (albet a wellspoken thief). She has in excess of $60 million of stolen money made from corruption and bribes.

She cannot even open a bank account in any reputable international bank with such a controversial financial history, but she hopes to will an election in Pakistan.

Imran Khan is a better bet for Pakistani politics than that woman or her elk.

You cant prove that an the organisation setup to prove this for more than a decade long has failed to find any evidence instead it has eaten so much taxpayer money, now it has been closed down and this just is how skill full the corrupt Dictatorship government is trying so hard to prove that she has taken the counteries money.

But they cant.

 

[Interceptor]

That is treason stupid ***** should be hanged for telling the whole world this fine people knew what happed but not in details, for power she will do everything and she has done a lot in the past to get power.
That was one reason that army never allowed her to visit any of the Nuclear sites they knew she will open her big ugly mouth.

Musharraf is the real traitor cant you see are you so blind. This Dictator has destoryed the entire government he is corrupt he is salling the pakistani owned oragnisation. So that his bank balence grows more. Your calling the daughter of Zulficar Ali a traitor your the triator this family has only given its life for this country to live on to grow and I dont believe she a corrupt. She is mor honest then a Dictator that is for undoubtable.

 

[Interceptor]

This lady has guts, She published the book even after she made deal with Musharaf and slated to comeback for election.
I am wondering what is stopping Musharaf now? He can capture Srinagar and win elections easily.

She is the only democracy.

Musharraf doesnt need elections to win why would he need it he isn't democratic he is a dictator.

A great saying by Joseph Stalin,

“It is enough that the people know there was an election. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything.”

Whos running government, yes a Dictator.

 

[Interceptor]

oh my god this lady is crazy.This is not only sad but a pathetic attempt to come in power by making pakistan and the ISI look bad. I mean this lady has done some pathetic things before but this is by far the most pathetic ever. i think she should be charged for treason.

How is she a nut case she is trying to open your eyes your country is runned by a Dictator and yes the MQM are traitors to the country they are the people behind the bloodshed in pakistan.

 

[Interceptor]

I hope she gets gunned downed on the tarmac at the air-port. She has hit an all time low. I pray to see the day she gets' shot, Kennedy style but 10X worse.

You need to learn to respect you have an obscene mind to say that. Disgusting .

 

[EagleEyes]

The fact i hate the most is that she is starting to risk the national security by supplying/publishing such informations.

 

[EagleEyes]

She is the only democracy.

Musharraf doesnt need elections to win why would he need it he isn't democratic he is a dictator.

A great saying by Joseph Stalin,

“It is enough that the people know there was an election. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything.”

Whos running government, yes a Dictator.

Dictator or a Puppet. People of Pakistan are much happeir than before. Democratic reforms will be taken after the election, and i will not be surprised that leaders like Benazir come to the public platforms and call this election an unfair election when she shouldn't even expect a single vote other than the already commited voters, supporters, etc.. Calling out such issues she is only damaging the nation furthermore. How long will she keep doing it for the power? more votes?