US, Arab world patronising Taliban: Pakistani leader

HYDERABAD - The US and its allies, including the Arab world, are patronising Taliban terrorism to destabilise South Asia, a former Pakistani minister said Sunday, apprehending that religious fanatics could take over his country.

Accusing the US, its allies NATO and the Arab world and even the Pakistani army of supplying money and arms to the Taliban, Iqbal Haider also warned that if the Taliban capture Pakistan, they would be sitting on the Indian border and spreading their activities in this country.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a seminar here Sunday, Haider, a former law minister, urged India and Pakistan to work out a joint strategy to root out terrorism from the region.

“I am worried over the speed with which terrorism is spreading in South Asia. We are not taking steps on a war footing and we don’t have a joint strategy. My fear is Taliban and the religious fanatics might capture Pakistan,” said Haider, who has also served as attorney general and Human Rights Commission chief.

Haider alleged that Americans were supporting terrorism in Pakistan. “The allies of America including the Arab world are supporting Taliban by giving them billions of dollars,” he said.

The former leader of Pakistan People’s Party claimed that US President Barack Obama admitted this sin of patronising terrorism by saying that his war was only against Al Qaeda. “He is not at war with Taliban. They created the Taliban and installed them in government with the support of the CIA,” he said.

Describing the Taliban as the right hand of Al Qaeda, he wondered how Obama could differentiate between them when they have same religious beliefs and objectives.

Haider alleged NATO was deliberately allowing hijacking of its containers of arms and ammunition by Taliban. “NATO even dumps arms in Peshawar and to allows Taliban to loot it,” he said and claimed that Taliban had all the sophisticated weaponry and even paid more money to their soldiers than the Pakistani Army.

Claiming that a 26/11 was happening everyday in Pakistan, he said his country was facing a serious challenge. “Terrorists are hell bent on destroying the state of Pakistan to impose their rule. It is tragedy that Pakistan is still being blamed for patronizing terrorism. We are the worst victim of terrorism.”

Voicing his concern over growing religious terrorism in India, he said such fanatics in both countries were not enemies of each other but were playing a complementary role.

Advising both the countries to stop a blame game, he said they should work out joint strategy to combat terror. He also suggested that the neighbours cut their defence budgets and withdraw the visa regime to provide relief to common man.