DATE=2/17/2000
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
TITLE=PAKISTAN / CLINTON
NUMBER=5-45471
BYLINE=JIM TEEPLE
DATELINE=ISLAMABAD
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: An informal survey carried out in Pakistan
indicates a majority of Pakistani's would welcome a visit
by President Clinton during his trip to South Asia next
month. Because of U-S displeasure over last October's
military coup in Pakistan, the president is now scheduled
only to visit India and Bangladesh. However Mr. Clinton
said Wednesday he has not ruled out a stop in Pakistan. As
V-O-A's Jim Teeple tells us in this background report from
Islamabad, many Pakistani's want Mr. Clinton to visit their
country.
Text: Two of Pakistan's leading newspapers, the English-
language "The News," and the Urdu-language "The Jang" asked
their readers the question: Should President Clinton visit
Pakistan next month or not? Readers were asked to call in
their responses to a special telephone line. Talat Hussein
- the executive editor of the News - says the response was
strongly in favor of a presidential visit.
/// HUSSEIN ACTUALITY ///
Sixty-five to 68 percent of the callers, as well as
fax messages and e-mails that we have received so
far, strongly recommend that Bill Clinton should
visit. Interestingly most of the people also
think that he will visit Pakistan -- despite doubts
that are hanging over Bill Clinton's visit -- they
seem to be pretty positive in their belief that he
will come to Pakistan.
/// END ACTUALITY ///
Mr. Clinton had planned a visit to Pakistan but those plans
were put on hold following last October's military coup.
He now says his decision on whether to visit will be based
on what would best serve U-S interests in trying to stop a
nuclear arms race in the region. Both India and Pakistan
conducted nuclear tests in 1998, and last year the two
countries came close to fighting their third war over the
disputed territory of Kashmir.
For his part, Pakistan's military ruler, General Pervez
Musharraf, says he strongly favors a visit by the
president. Speaking to reporters recently, General
Musharraf said if President Clinton wants to achieve his
stated goal of easing tensions over Kashmir he will have to
visit Pakistan.
/// MUSHARRAF ACTUALITY ///
He wants to contribute towards peace, he has done
that in Ireland, he has done that in Bosnia, he has
done that in Kosovo and in the Middle East. So
therefore I know he is a man of peace - he wants
peace in this region. Now how do you bring about
peace in the region - what is the issue? The issue
is Indo- Pakistan confrontation and within that the
issue is the Kashmir dispute. So you have to address
that issue by coming to the region and visiting
Pakistan and India to resolve the main issue of
Kashmir - to contribute towards its resolution. So
therefore I would say it would be in the interests of
peace in the region that President Clinton visits
both India and Pakistan.
/// END ACTUALITY ///
General Mushharraf also says Pakistan would feel, in his
words, "ditched" by its longtime ally the United States if
Mr. Clinton does not add Pakistan to his schedule in South
Asia.
Some U-S officials oppose a presidential visit to Pakistan,
saying it could lead to a perception that Mr. Clinton is
endorsing the military's ouster of an elected government.
U-S officials also say Pakistan has not done enough to
control the activities of militant Kashmiri separatists who
are based in Pakistan -- or help the U-S capture Osama bin
Laden, the Saudi dissident charged with masterminding the
bombing of two U-S embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998.
/// OPT /// In recent weeks U-S officials have warned
Pakistan it risked being listed as a sponsor of terrorism
if it was found to be supporting militant Kashmiri
separatists who have been shown to be involved in terrorist
activities. The U-S says one of the separatist groups
based in Pakistan was involved in the hijacking of an
Indian Airlines plane in December. Pakistani officials say
they do not sponsor terrorist activities, and do not have
the influence with Taleban authorities in Afghanistan to
get them to hand over Osama bin Laden // END OPT //
Despite apparent differences between the U-S and Pakistan
on a series of issues, there is by all accounts a broad
consensus within Pakistan that Bill Clinton should stop
there during his South Asian tour. Surprisingly that
consensus even extends to many of the militant Kashmiri
separatist groups. Abdullah Muntazir is a spokesman for
the group Lakshar-e-Toiba one of the largest militant
groups operating in Pakistan. He says the "mujahedeen"
will not protest if Mr. Clinton comes to Pakistan.
/// MUNTAZIR ACTUALITY ///
We will not invite him to come here and we will not
forbid him to come. It is up to him. It is a matter
between the Pakistan and the U-S governments. We are
independent from the Pakistani government. I want to
clear the rumors that the mujhadeen will create
problems for Clinton. Why would we create problems.
We are not such extremists that the people in the
West think.
/// END ACTUALITY ///
Mr. Muntazir says if Mr. Clinton does come to Pakistan -
according to Islamic tradition he must be treated as an
honored guest. However, he also says while Mr. Clinton
will be a guest in Pakistan, he must not interfere in
Kashmir. Abdullah Muntazir says the only way to solve the
Kashmir issue is through a "jihad," or a holy war to drive
the Indian Army out of Kashmir. (Signed)
NEB/JLT/LTD/KL
17-Feb-2000 10:16 AM EDT (17-Feb-2000 1516 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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