'Pak must shun 'self-destructive strategy' of supporting India centric terror groups'

Lahore, Apr.4 (ANI): It is imperative for Pakistan to discontinue its support for India centric militant organisations, such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), that are pursuing Islamabad's so called 'freedom movement' in Kashmir, if the country sincerely wants to establish peace in the region and have cordial relationship with its neighbour, a top Pakistani political and defence analyst has said.

In his analysis in The Daily Times, Dr. Hasan-Askari Rizvi, described Pakistan funded 'jihad' movement against as a 'self-destructive strategy', and said that both the Pakistani military and the intelligence must give up the nefarious policy to establish peace in the region.

"Pakistan's military and intelligence establishment need to give up altogether the use of jihadis for pursuing their agenda in Kashmir. The blowback of the jihad strategy has undermined Pakistan's internal harmony and stability. Pakistan can no longer afford such a self-destructive strategy," Rizvi said.

Rizvi pointed that while Pakistan's policies towards Islamic militant groups have changed changed over the last year, it is still not 'genuinely' engaged in counter-terrorism act and security agencies are taking limited action against the militant groups based across the country, especially in Punjab.

For Islamabad, it is the Taliban and Al-Qaeda which poses more threat to it than the Punjab based terror groups such as the LeT, he said.

Rizvi, however, also stressed that it is not possible for Pakistan take equally firm action simultaneously against all these groups when it has to keep a reasonable number of troops close to the Indian border in view of the ongoing troubled relations.

He underlined that both India and Pakistan need to adopt a strategy a strategy where militants would not impose on their agenda for improving ties.

Rizvi said that New Delhi should also agree to a comprehensive dialogue on all contentious issues and work towards resolving the less contentious ones, which would then help create more space for Islamabad to take firm action against the groups known for their activities in Kashmir and India. (ANI)