PROFESSOR ALI SUKHANVER

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is nothing difficult to estimate that the arrest of Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai, the Executive Director of the US-based Kashmir American Council is the result of American extremism and narrow mindedness against Muslims as well as an attempt to please the government of India during Hillary ClintonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s visit to New Delhi. It is also very much obvious that the US policy makersƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ have tried to settle their old scores with Pakistan under the cover of this arrest. Whatever be the reality, the arrest of Dr.Fai would add another strain to the already worsening relationship between the US and Pakistan. The situation must be no doubt shocking as well as alarming for the Muslims all over the world and particularly for the people of Pakistan. The CIA and FBI have always tried their best to exploit such type of incidents for distortion of the peaceful image of Pakistan particularly the image of Pakistan Army and the ISI. According to the media reports the US authorities have claimed to trace the links between the ISI and Dr.Fai. Same type of allegations was imposed in case of Osama Bin Laden.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ US Justice Department officials said that Dr Fai was busy in efforts to push the Kashmiri cause in Washington with Pakistani funding over a decade-long. The US Justice Department alleged in a statement that Washington based Kashmir American Council headed by Dr Fai, is actually run by elements of the Pakistani government. According to FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Mc Junkin, Dr Fai and another man Zaheer Ahmad were being funded by the Pakistani government through its spy agency ISI. US Department of Justice blamed that Dr FaiƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s handlers in Pakistan showered millions of dollars upon the Council to promote the Kashmiri cause among US politicians and other decision-makers in Washington. FBI agent Sarah Webb Linden said in documents filed in federal court in Virginia, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Dr. Fai has received at least $4 million from the Pakistani government since the 1990ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s through Zaheer and his funding network in Pakistan. During all this period Dr. Fai has received approximately $500,000 to $700,000 per year from the government of Pakistan.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Be it Osama Bin Laden or Dr.Fai; the two figures never belonged to Pakistan. The personal profile of Dr.Fai says, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Dr. Fai comes from Badgam Tehsil of Kashmir. He did his M.A. from the Aligarh University of India and Ph.D. in mass communications from Temple University, Pennsylvania. He is the founding chairman of the California-based World Peace Forum. He is the Chairman of the International Institute of Kashmir Studies. He is also the Chairman of the Kashmiri American Foundation & the London-based Justice Foundation. Dr. Fai is also the Member of the Board of Director of Istanbul-based the Union of the NGOs of the Islamic World. He was awarded Republican Senatorial Medal of Freedom in 2005. This is the highest honor the Republican Member of the United States Senate can bestow. Dr. Fai was also awarded the Prestigious Distinction of the National Republican Senatorial Committee Commission in June 2007 as a dedicated Republican and inspiring leader. On October 12, 2007, he was presented with the American Spirit Medal, the highest and most prestigious honor to be given to an individual by the US society.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ From his birth to his arrest, in his long story of success and achievements one finds no Pakistan anywhere. Same was the case with Osama Bin Laden. Osama was striving for the dominance of a typical Arab version of Islam all over the world and Dr. Fai was working for the freedom and liberty of his homeland. Pakistan has nothing to do with either of these two issues. It is true that Pakistan has a very soft corner for the ever-crushed people of Kashmir as a policy matter. Pakistan has always provided a staunch moral support to all those oppressed ones who are being deprived of their basic human rights; no matter whether they are in Sri Lanka or Palestine, in Indian Occupied Kashmir or Iraq. It is something quite intelligible why PakistanƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s moral support to such deprived ones is labeled as ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”terrorismƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢. It seems that the armed forces and intelligence agencies of Pakistan have become a continuous pain in the neck for the US policy makers. They are doing their utmost to defame these two very sacred, sincere, dedicated and devoted organizations of Pakistan which are on one hand rendering exceptional services to protect national interests and on the other hand playing an unforgettable role in the war against terrorism. They have always offered tremendous sacrifices at the national and international levels. The hostile elements among the US policy makers are running an intentional malicious campaign to discredit and defame the Armed Forces and the intelligence agencies of Pakistan especially against the Pakistan Army and ISI. The aim of such negative propaganda is to weaken worldƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s faith in the professional capabilities and competence of the Pakistan Army and ISI.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The arrest of Dr.Fai in Washington is certainly a vibrant part of the same malicious campaign against the security agencies of Pakistan which started from the so-called Mumbai Attacks. Since very after the Mumbai attacks the hostile elements in USA and India have been alleging that ISI is involved in Mumbai terrorist attacks. Thanks to the Chicago Court which in the light of confession made by David Coleman Headley announced that leadership of PakistanƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s ISI had nothing to do with the deadly 2008 Mumbai attacks but the unluckilyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  perpetrators of Dr.FaiƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s arrest have forgotten the truth exposed by the Chicago Court.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The anti Pakistan hostile elements among the US policy makers must remember that Pakistan Army and the ISI have a good professional record in UN peace keeping missions. They have undertaken various UN missions across the world with absolute success and the ISI has always proved itself one of the best shields against terrorism. Without the strong support of the Pakistan Army and the ISI USA or the NATO forces would never have been able to spend even a single day in Afghanistan. Another important thing to be remembered is that Pakistan has no enmity with the people of Afghanistan or the oppressed citizens of the Indian Occupied Kashmir. Pakistan could never go against its Muslim brothers in Afghanistan and the Indian Occupied Kashmir just to please the most unreliable American ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”friendsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢. Moreover Pakistan must not be held responsible for the actions of the people who donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t belong to Pakistan whether it is Ajmal Qassab, Osama bin Laden or Dr. Fai. As far as Dr. Fai is concerned he is a Kashmiri and it is his basic human right to strive for the liberty and freedom of his motherland.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The writer is a Pakistan based analyst on defence and strategic affairs