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Facing Obama push to talk to Pakistan, New Delhi sees ‘Lashkar ban’ as bait

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Written by Praveen Swami

President Barack Obama is likely to ask India to resume high-level dialogue with Pakistan during his upcoming summit meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highly-placed government sources have told The Indian Express. The push will come midst media reports that the Lashkar-e-Taiba’s parent organisation, the Jamaat-ud-Dawa, has been banned—a demand pressed by United States Secretary of State John Kerry during a recent visit to Islamabad.

There was no official confirmation of the ban, however. Foreign Office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam said on Thursday that the Jamaat’s bank accounts had been frozen, and foreign travel restrictions placed on its chief, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed. Later, however, the Foreign Office clarified that Aslam had been referring to actions taken in 2008.

Karachi-based newspaper The Dawn was among several that reported Thursday that the Jamaat had been placed on a list of banned organisations, along with the Afghanistan-focussed Haqqani Network, but that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government was showing “reluctance to announce the curb in an official capacity”.

Local journalists The Indian Express spoke to, however, said the Jamaat’s offices in both Lahore and Karachi were open, with visitors streaming in and out. The organisation’s website was also online late on Thursday, carrying announcements for a rally scheduled for Sunday to protest what it described as blasphemous attacks on the Prophet Muhammad. The Jamaat itself said it expected to continue to report

New Delhi offered no response to the developments in Pakistan, but said they expected President Obama would provide clarity on the Pakistan army’s intentions and objectives. “Let’s wait until we know what, if anything, has actually happened”, one home ministry official said. “We’ve learned the hard way to beware of poisoned bait”, he added.

President Obama, government sources say, had pushed Prime Minister Modi to reopen dialogue with Pakistan during their summit meeting in September. Foreign Secretary-level had been called off after Pakistan’s High Commissioner in New Delhi, Abdul Basit, met with leaders of the secessionist All Parties Hurriyat Conference. The United States, the sources said, argued Pakistan’s military offensive against terrorists in North Waziristan demonstrated its military had reversed its long-standing alliance with jihadists.

In response, the sources said, Prime Minister Modi said he was not unwilling to talk to Pakistan, but needed tangible evidence of the country’s will to act against terrorism—for example, the extradition of top Lashkar military commander Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi to stand trial in a third country where he is wanted for crimes, like the United States.

Following the Prime Minister’s return to New Delhi, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval had held consultations with key officials on the conditions under which a dialogue with Pakistan might resume. The initiative, however, unravelled as skirmishes erupted along the Line of Control in Kashmir.

However, intelligence officials said they were intrigued by the timing to the leaks on a Lashkar ban. “There was very little infiltration before the elections in Kashmir”, a senior Indian intelligence official said, “and cross-border activity is at about the same level as last winter, perhaps even a bit lower. I’m guessing that these leaks are the Pakistan army’s way of saying it wants to do business with India, and it’ll be interesting to see what they’ve conveyed to the United States”.

Shahbaz Sharif, the chief minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province and Prime Minister Sharif’s brother, had earlier this week met with top Jamaat leaders early this week to reassure them that no ban was being contemplated against the organisation. The meeting followed testimony to a senate committee by Interior Ministry additional secretary Mohammad Asghar Chaudhry that the Jamaat and Haqqani Network were “under observation”. Minister for Defence Production Rana Tanveer Hussain earlier said the Jamaat had no link to terrorism.

“I’m guessing these leaks about the ban are meant to tell the United States that while the military is willing to act against the Jamaat, the political establishment isn’t willing”, said author and analyst Ayesha Siddiqa, an expert on the Pakistan army. “The reality may be that that the army doesn’t want to act against powerful jihadist groups who aren’t challenging its authority, and is using the politicians as a scapegoat”.

“The sensible course for the Indian government”, said Sushant Sareen, an expert at the Vivekananda International Foundation, “is to wait and watch for concrete action. Personally, I’m guessing it is going to have to wait a while”.

Few results have emerged from past Pakistani promises of action against the Jamaat and its affiliates. Following the imposition of sanctions against the Lashkar-e-Taiba by the United Nations Security Council on December 10, 2008, Pakistan’s then-Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Abdullah Haroon, promised that his government would “proscribe the JUD and take other consequential actions, as required, including the freezing of assets”.

Jamaat offices across the country were indeed shut down—but reopened within weeks. Saeed himself was held under a public order law, but was set free after the Lahore High Court proved unmoved by evidence presented in closed court of his alleged links with al-Qaeda.

Indeed, it remains unclear if the Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Aslam’s comments referred to the asset freeze declared in 2008—and never formally removed—or to a fresh set of actions.

The asset freeze, notably, had no impact on the Jamaat’s activities, which are mainly conducted in cash. Its sprawling campus at Muridke, moreover, recieved official subsidies after 2008, since its bank accounts were inoperational. Budget documents for 2013-2014 show the Punjab government received a grant in aid of Rs. 61.35 million. Finance Minsiter Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman also announced his government intended to set up an Rs. 350 million knowledge park in Muridke.

Pakistan also took little action against key Lashkar commanders. It said it was unable to locate Muzammil Bhat, who trained and directed the terrorists who carried out the 26/11 attacks. In 2009, though, Canadian journalists Adnan Khan located Bhat openly training Lashkar cadre near Muzaffarabad.

Facing intense pressure from the United States, Musharraf banned the Lashkar in January, 2002, under the new Anti-Terrorism Act. Top leaders, including Saeed, were placed under house arrest, and the organisation’s bank accounts were shut down. Inside weeks, though, Saeed and other jihadist leaders were released, with local courts saying there was no evidence of their involvement in terrorism.

Importantly, Musharraf’s ban did not apply to the Azad Kashmir, including Azad Kashmir, Gilgit and Baltistan, nor the Federally-Administered Tribal Areas and the province now called Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Thus, the Lashkar remained in operation out of these areas through the ban.

However, Musharraf did secure a deesclation of violence on the Indian side of the Line of Control, by slowly choking back infiltration—leading to a more than decade long scaling back of violence in the state.

- See more at: Facing Obama push to talk to Pakistan, New Delhi sees ‘Lashkar ban’ as bait | The Indian Express | Page 99
 
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No matter what Pakistan does, India will never be satisfied. Having said that, satisfaction shouldn't be the main demand for talks, it should be the end result.

I agree with you on this.Entire action of GoI showed they have a well planned plan for all of this.Starting from the Foreign secreatary talks cancellation.But who can we blame ?
Some of the past action from Pak side created a deep distrust in Indian mindset.Trust deficit is the main problem.in here.
 
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No matter what Pakistan does, India will never be satisfied. Having said that, satisfaction shouldn't be the main demand for talks, it should be the end result.

India is still stuck in 2001.

They saw how the US leveraged the victim-of-terrorism card to push through its agenda, and India decided to use the same rule book against Pakistan. Lost in translation was the fact that India is not the US, and Pakistan is not some pipsqueak country.

Indian policymakers haven't been earning their pay this last decade and are still stuck in that one track routine centered around terrorism. What Indians don't seem to understand is that all this chest puffing about terrorism is strictly for the birds. Countries use that as an excuse to implement their policies. Third countries don't give a damn about India's alleged concerns on "terrorism". If the third country's interests so dictate, it will join India in pressing Pakistan on terrorism. Otherwise, India's one-track rhetoric will fall on deaf ears.
 
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Indian should ask minimum extradition of lakhwi, Hafiz, dawood for any resumption of dialouge.
 
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Indian should ask minimum extradition of lakhwi, Hafiz, dawood for any resumption of dialouge.
Dialuge should be based on mutual level. So if you want hafiz then hand over samjhota express master mind colonel to us. And dawood is not in Pakistan. We can argue on dawood presence in Pakistan on seperate thread if you like
 
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I think most of sources are Indian when it comes to Pakistan. There must be demands from Pakistan as well for India to come up with tangible steps that sees terror camps thay are operating against Pakistan be shut down.

Its a different perspective. Indians talk strident but Pakistan talks discreet. Eventually both countries will talk and this brinkmanship and sabre rattling is very shallow.
 
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No matter what Pakistan does, India will never be satisfied. Having said that, satisfaction shouldn't be the main demand for talks, it should be the end result.
What the Babu circles in Delhi are buzzing with is that Modi Govt has given 3 demands to Pakistan thru back channels

1. Fast track 26/11 court case in Pakistan and try it with visibly correct intent
2. Include Hafiz Saeed in the list of accused
3. Return Dawood Ibrahim to India (dead or alive) ( most non negotiable)

and talks are back on table.

Lets see where this goes
 
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What the Babu circles in Delhi are buzzing with is that Modi Govt has given 3 demands to Pakistan thru back channels

1. Fast track 26/11 court case in Pakistan and try it with visibly correct intent
2. Include Hafiz Saeed in the list of accused
3. Return Dawood Ibrahim to India (dead or alive) ( most non negotiable)

and talks are back on table.

Lets see where this goes

1-The law will have to work in Pakistan without any Indian involvement.
2-Hafiz Saeed or who ever, is hated in Pakistan, if it is found that he is involved in anti-state activities, he will be punished with the new strict anti-terror laws coming in and the whole nation wanting blood of these rascals. Again, India here doesn't matter. Hafiz Saeed gets convicted, scores double bounty for both Pakistan and India, so that is purely coincidental.
3-Forget Dawood Ibrahim, because there is no extradition treaty b/w the two nations, so even if Pakistan somehow captured him, Pakistan can not extradite him to India.

Now in any case, if Pakistan does want to lend an ear to what India has to say, India would have to offer something.............now what would that be?
 
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Lakhwi, Hafiz is Taliban in making. It is for Pakistan to decide. Same type of attitude we had seen for Taliban some 15 years ago. Now you can see.
 
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Dialuge should be based on mutual level. So if you want hafiz then hand over samjhota express master mind colonel to us. And dawood is not in Pakistan. We can argue on dawood presence in Pakistan on seperate thread if you like
What col are you talking about, it is till now not proved that he has done it. American and indian inteligence said it was LET, just google it there is proof on this what i am saying. Only Congress party suddenly come to know that Col and one sadhvi is involved.
On Hafeez, it is well known and you can agree also he is a founding member of LET, do i need to give other terrorist leader name who are Pakistan like Hijbul mujaheddin, JEM, etc. All there leader are in Pakistan and are involve in India in various bomb blast and terror activities.

1-The law will have to work in Pakistan without any Indian involvement.
2-Hafiz Saeed or who ever, is hated in Pakistan, if it is found that he is involved in anti-state activities, he will be punished with the new strict anti-terror laws coming in and the whole nation wanting blood of these rascals. Again, India here doesn't matter. Hafiz Saeed gets convicted, scores double bounty for both Pakistan and India, so that is purely coincidental.
3-Forget Dawood Ibrahim, because there is no extradition treaty b/w the two nations, so even if Pakistan somehow captured him, Pakistan can not extradite him to India.

Now in any case, if Pakistan does want to lend an ear to what India has to say, India would have to offer something.............now what would that be?

Sir,
what ever explanation you are providing is just totally cook up lie. Care to tell me how many judges and public prosecutor has been changed or transferred or killed in lakhvi trail, it just baffles me how in earth he is able to father a child while he is in jail. I hope you are not telling us to believe on this law.
Hafiz Saeed is being kept under ISI umbrella and it is not breaking news i hope you will agree to me on this. So can you tell me how in earth they are going to prosecute their own. I think its high time they can simply say to India they are not going to prosecute Hafeez what ever proof are there. At least we can move on, on this matter.
Your country told OSAMA was not in Pakistan, but we know where he was found, already Afghanistan,American and Isreali intelligence along with Indian have said Dawood is in Karachi in Pakistan, there was a program in GEO where the reporter clearly told the place where he is staying, i am trying to find the link. See ISI has use him for more than 2 decades against India and he knows too much to give to India, but he can be returned in body bag we will take that also.

You will see, even if dialogue start it will again get cancelled in few month on some reason, as there is huge deficit between both countries. Pakistan need to do something concrete to make India take Pakistan seriously on the issue it will discuss. Otherwise i am seeing in Indian establishment no one is worried that we are not talking to Pakistan, they happy on the status quo, it is your country that need to take the first step on this. my 2 cent.
 
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What col are you talking about, it is till now not proved that he has done it. American and indian inteligence said it was LET, just google it there is proof on this what i am saying. Only Congress party suddenly come to know that Col and one sadhvi is involved.
On Hafeez, it is well known and you can agree also he is a founding member of LET, do i need to give other terrorist leader name who are Pakistan like Hijbul mujaheddin, JEM, etc. All there leader are in Pakistan and are involve in India in various bomb blast and terror activities.
Hijbul mujahedin or hizbul mujahedin :-D :-D mate we have our own problems we lost 60k+ people in last 10 years and can you quote me any major incident after 26/11. We are fighting for our own survival we cannot open 3 front at a same time. So try to understand and came out from that blame game. We are trying to get rid of these scumbags
 
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Hijbul mujahedin or hizbul mujahedin :-D :-D mate we have our own problems we lost 60k+ people in last 10 years and can you quote me any major incident after 26/11. We are fighting for our own survival we cannot open 3 front at a same time. So try to understand and came out from that blame game. We are trying to get rid of these scumbags
Mate,see no body in India (reasonable) can say that Pakistan is suffering more than any country in whole world, as it is fighting war for its existence. But some progress need to be done on 26/11, as an Indian i know what lasting image it has left in our heart and mind. Its not blame game but 26/11 is a sore issue and require some balm to calm the Indian.
By the way best of luck on fighting these scum, i have no doubt your country and especially your military will come out winning it.
 
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