New Delhi: Pakistan should prosecute those responsible for attacks in India instead of simply placing some under house arrest and allowing others to roam free and deliver speeches, says former diplomat of that country Husain Haqqani.
He also warns that unless all jihadi groups are seen as threats and action is taken by Pakistan against them, more attacks like the one on Pathankot airbase will occur, adding the jihadis have not brought Pakistan success over the last 30 years and will only inflict more damage on that country in years to come.
The former ambassador of Pakistan to the US says being smaller than India, Pakistan cannot succeed in a conventional military offensive but it hopes to force India's hand by disrupting life in its cities and creating fear all round and this deep-rooted desire for military competition even by unconventional means is the reason why terrorism endures.
Haqqani spoke about his latest book 'India vs Pakistan: Why Can't We Just Be Friends?' and issues related to Kashmir, Pakistani Army and normalisation of ties.
He decided to write this book, published by Juggernaut, to get "through to young Pakistanis and young Indians" as hate is not good foreign policy.
He says the setting up of a joint investigation team on the Pathankot attack case "reflected the desire by the civilian government led by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to demonstrate to India his intention" of improving relations.
"It also reflected the need for the military to alleviate international pressure by demonstrating its willingness to investigate the attack. However, like earlier such investigations until and unless all jihadi groups are seen as threats and action is taken against them, more such attacks and many more such investigations will take place," he says.
"I have repeatedly stated ever since the Mumbai attacks, Pakistan has to seriously prosecute those responsible for attacks in India instead of simply placing some under house arrest and allowing others to roam free and deliver speeches.
This also applies to the Pathankot investigation," says Haqqani, currently the Director for South and Central Asia at the Hudson Institute.
In his book, now available on the Juggernaut app, he says Pakistan uses terrorism as a low-cost means of bleeding India and Pakistani terrorist groups' masterminds are almost always set free by Pakistani courts.
