DATE=5/28/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-232947
TITLE=PAK NUKES / REACTION (L)
BYLINE=ALI ZAIDI
DATELINE=ISLAMABAD
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: MANY PAKISTANIS HAVE REACTED JOYOUSLY TO NEWS OF THE
COUNTRY'S NUCLEAR TESTS. AS ALI ZAIDI REPORTS FROM ISLAMABAD --
MOST PAKISTANIS BELIEVE THEIR COUNTRY HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO
RESPOND TO WHAT THEY SEE AS INDIA'S THREATS TO THEIR SECURITY.
TEXT: // CROWD ACT (FADE INTO FOLLOWING TEXT) // IN CITIES
THROUGHOUT PAKISTAN, MANY PEOPLE RUSHED OUT INTO THE STREETS SOON
AFTER PRIME MINISTER NAWAZ SHARIF ANNOUNCED PAKISTAN HAD
CONDUCTED FIVE NUCLEAR TESTS.
PEOPLE HANDED OUT SWEETS, DANCED, AND FIRED AUTOMATIC RIFLES IN
THE AIR TO SHOW THEIR HAPPINESS AND PRIDE AT BECOMING A NUCLEAR
POWER.
OUTSIDE THE PARLIAMENT IN ISLAMABAD, JUBILANT RULING PARTY
SUPPORTERS WERE JOINED BY HUNDREDS OF ACTIVISTS BELONGING TO
ISLAMIC RIGHT WING PARTIES WHO CHANTED SLOGANS SUPPORTING THE
NUCLEAR TESTS.
THE CROWD WAVED PAKISTANI FLAGS, EXPLODED FIRECRACKERS, AND
SHOUTED DEFIANT SLOGANS AGAINST INDIA.
SPEAKERS TOLD THE CROWD THAT PAKISTAN'S NUCLEAR CAPABILITY WOULD
NOW DETER ANY AGGRESSION AGAINST THEIR COUNTRY. BEFORE
DISPERSING, THE CROWD JOINED TOGETHER TO SAY A PRAYER OF
GRATITUDE FOR THURSDAY'S NUCLEAR TESTS.
RAFI SHAMS, A SHOPKEEPER WHO BROUGHT HIS TWO SMALL CHILDREN TO
THE DEMONSTRATION, SAYS THE NUCLEAR TESTS ARE A NECESSARY
DETERRENT.
// SHAMS ACT IN URDU, FADE INTO TEXT TRANSLATION //
HE SAYS INDIA HAS ALWAYS BEEN PAKISTAN'S ENEMY, AND IT WAS INDIA
THAT STARTED THE NUCLEAR CONFRONTATION. MR. SHAMS SAYS PAKISTAN'S
TESTS WERE NECESSARY FOR THE COUNTRY'S DEFENSE.
ASKED IF HE WAS WORRIED ABOUT ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, MR. SHAMS SAYS
MUSLIMS DO NOT FEAR EVEN DEATH. HE SAYS THE PAKISTANI BOMB IS NOT
MEANT TO DESTROY INDIA -- JUST TO MAKE INDIANS AFRAID OF
ATTACKING PAKISTAN.
OTHERS ARE MORE MILITANT. A YOUNG ARMY RECRUIT AT THE RALLY,
NAMED AHSAN, SAYS HE WANTS REVENGE FOR PAKISTAN'S DEFEAT IN THE
1971 WAR WITH INDIA.
// AHSAN ACT //
WE WANT THE WAR. WE HAVE TO TAKE THE REVENGE OF THE '71
WAR. WE ARE A MUSLIM NATION AND WE DO NOT FORGET OUR
TRADITIONS. WE WERE DEFEATED IN '71, WHATSOEVER THE
REASON WAS -- REASON MIGHT BE THE POLITICIANS, MIGHT BE
THE ARMY -- BUT PAKISTAN WAS DEFEATED. WE WANT THE WAR.
LET THE WAR COME, WE'RE GOING TO DECIDE.
// END ACT //
MANY PAKISTANIS ARE CONVINCED INDIA WAS PREPARING TO ATTACK THE
PAKISTANI CONTROLLED PART OF THE DISPUTED STATE OF KASHMIR, IF
PAKISTAN HAD NOT SHOWN ITS NUCLEAR CAPABILITY.
THEY POINT TO THE FACT THAT THE HINDU FUNDAMENTALIST GOVERNMENT
IN INDIA HAD IN ITS ELECTION AGENDA VOWED TO TAKE ALL OF KASHMIR
BY FORCE IF NECESSARY.
HOWEVER, EVEN MR. AHSAN IS NOT IN FAVOR OF ACTUALLY USING
NUCLEAR WEAPONS. FOR MANY PAKISTANIS, MATCHING INDIA'S FIVE
NUCLEAR TESTS HAS SATISFIED THEM.
SOME PAKISTANIS EVEN EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE ESCALATION IN
HOSTILITIES AND THE DANGERS OF A NUCLEAR ARMS RACE BETWEEN THE
TWO COUNTRIES. THEY ALSO SAY PAKISTAN CANNOT SURVIVE THE ECONOMIC
SANCTIONS THAT ARE NOW LIKELY TO FOLLOW.
BUT THEIR VOICES HAVE BEEN LARGELY DROWNED OUT BY THE CHORUS OF
APPROVAL GREETING THURSDAY'S NUCLEAR TESTS. (SIGNED)
NEB/AZ/KL
28-May-98 4:17 PM EDT (2017 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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