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India-Pakistan
My remarks on Babri mosque were misunderstood: Malik
2012-12-16
[The Hindu] Pakistain's Interior Minister Rehman Malik
Pak politician, Interior Minister under the Gilani government. Malik is a former Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) intelligence officer who rose to head the FIA during Benazir Bhutto's second tenure. Malik was tossed from his FIA job in 1998 after documenting the breath-taking corruption of the Sharif family. By unhappy coincidence Nawaz Sharif became PM at just that moment and Malik moved to London one step ahead of the button men. He had to give up the interior ministry job because he held dual Brit citizenship.
on Saturday tried to downplay the controversy surrounding his Friday's statements comparing the Mumbai terror attacks with the Babri mosque demolition and the torture of Captain Saurabh Kalia by the Pak Army in the Kargil
... three months of unprovoked Pak aggression, over 4000 dead Paks, another victory for India ...
war in 1999.

His remarks were taken in a "negative way", Mr. Malik told journalists here. "My statements have been misunderstood...There is no comparison, whatsoever, between Babri mosque demolition and 26/11 attacks. When I mentioned Babri masjid I was talking of inter faith harmony in our region... inter-faith is really my thought."

He further said Pakistain itself was a victim of inter-faith festivities, sectarian strife. "My intention was not to create confusion but sound caution to the both countries. So I said like the incidents of 9/11, people dying in Quetta, our Shia and Sunni people are being killed in Bloody Karachi
...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It may be the largest city in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous...
. I (had) also said incidents like Mumbai blasts, Babri masjid case... we do not want that these things should happen in any region of India and Pakistain."

Kalia's torture

Pointing out that India had never put Captain Kalia's torture by the Mighty Pak Army on bilateral agenda, Mr. Malik said: "Yesterday was first time India raised (Captain) Kalia's case officially...I only said circumstances of his death are disputed, I am asking for more information. I feel the pain of Captain Kalia's father...I will definitely look into the matter."

The Pak Minister said "if the Pak Army had tortured him, why would they have given his dead body?" He further said: "Yesterday, during the meeting from the first time I was asked to look into the matter. I promised them [Indian delegation]... please give me the detail... I will look into the matter and revert with detailed information. I sympathise with his father."

Mr. Malik said he would like to meet N.K. Kalia, father of Captain Kalia. "I saw his father's interview [on TV after the Supreme Court directed the Centre to respond to his plea to take up the case in the International Court of Justice]. It was very hard and painful... The matter has not been investigated. We should jointly look into the whole matter," he added.

Sarabjit's case

On the release of Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh, Mr. Malik said once all legal remedies were exhausted, the case would come to the Pakistain President for mercy. "I will have to recommend. But I have to see what kind of formalities are required to be followed or completed if he has to apply for mercy petition."

Sarabjit's sister Daljit Kaur and daughter Sapandeep met Mr. Malik on Friday and appealed for his early release. He had invited both of them visit Pakistain as his personal guest and directed Pakistain High Commission officials to issue them a long-term visa to them.
Posted by:Fred

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