| PPP senior leader says both militant outfits will get united to destabilise China through sabotage activities in future | Predicts more violence in Afghanistan after May 1 deadline

ISLAMABAD   -  Senior PPP leader and country’s former security czar Senator A. Rehman Malik Saturday said that Taliban and Islamic State (IS), the two militant outfits, could carry out terrorist activities in the Xinjiang region of China in future to destabilize the emerging world power.

“I have insight information from Afghanistan that Daesh (IS) and Taliban have made friendships, both will make stronger and will get re-energized, and both these organizations can be used in Muslim majority Xinjiang province of China for sabotage activities,” said the seasoned politician of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in a panel interview with The Nation and the Nawa-i-Waqt.

He also hailed the recent statement of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa proposing peace with India by saying that “it is time to bury the past and move forward.”

Senator A. Rehman Malik, country’s former interior minister and also an author of a number of books, shed light on a host issues ranging from diplomatic to political and regional. He predicted that he was seeing more violence in Afghanistan after the May 1 deadline of US to withdraw its troops from the landlocked country as it was not going to withdraw after this cut-off date. He said that Afghan Taliban were the major stakeholder in Afghanistan and any peace process could not be taken ahead if they were unsatisfied with its terms and conditions.

He also asserted that Pakistan would remain on the grey list of Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global anti-money laundering watchdog, as this was part of India’s conspiracy against Pakistan.

Talking on the political issues, Rehman Malik said that former president and his party leader Asif Ali Zardari’s remarks in an important meeting of the opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) were wise enough and the opposition collation was facing no threat with the position taken by PPP on the issue of resignations.

He also claimed that his party leadership was soon going to give him new important responsibilities and he has complete trust in all decisions of the party.

Following are the questions and replies of Senator A. Rehman Malik:

The Nation (TN): Does IS gaining ground in Afghanistan and in the region? What is your assessment?

Senator Rehman Malik: Daesh is a monster and it will leave behind Al-Qaeda and Taliban. Daesh was created for some reasons and huge training is going on within the organization and India is involved in getting it trained. What is your choice if west and India wanted to destabilize the region, and the two countries including Pakistan and China are the main target? I had been saying in the past that Daesh would be used against China.

I have insight information from Afghanistan that Daesh (IS) and Taliban have made friendships, both will make stronger and will get re-energized, and both these organizations can be used in Muslim majority Xinjiang province of China for sabotage activities. Travelling to China with world connections is not difficult. I am seeing increased cold war plus between China and US.

The Arab spring is being replicated in the region and according to my information, around one million Taliban and Daesh militants were staying in Afghanistan and getting training and they will be either used against Pakistan or China. Let President Ashraf Ghani or somebody else deny this fact.

China has utilized all its energies on its development instead of fighting a war. I have fears that if Afghan Taliban and Daesh entered into those Muslim majority regions of China, the areas will become another Afghanistan and Syria. I am seeing bloodshed there. I am warning with clarity that indicators are not good for China and US and there would be destruction if South Asia became any forum of conflict. There is a triangular tussle going on as Russian is also against US and poor countries like Pakistan would have to bear the brunt of this conflict and Pakistan can go into more isolation in this situation.  

TN: How do you see the statement of COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa made at the National Security Dialogue proposing peace with India?

Rehman Malik: If you go through General Bajwa doctrine, it contained a lot of things about national security, asks for making good relations with India and says that ‘war is not an option but dialogue is the option for the issues.’ The COAS has proposed a sensible solution of the matter as Pakistan needs to keep itself away from the conflict of Daesh, Taliban and world powers. But the Army Chief also pointed out that Pakistan cannot move forward till the resolution of Kashmir issue.  

I would say that Pakistan needs to sit with India on equal terms. This is an initiative of the COAS and is a good opportunity for India to use the occasion and should talk about composite dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues including water with Pakistan. India should come forward and move ahead on this proposal and bring the Kashmir issue on the table.

This statement has made stronger the position of Pakistan as Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi had been saying at every forum that Pakistan doesn’t talk with us. With these remarks, the narrative of India has faced a setback.

TN: Whether FATF would remove Pakistan’s name from its grey list?

Rehman Malik: It was painful for me when FATF president stated that they had started increased monitoring on Pakistan. I had written a letter to him seeking to explain the limits of this monitoring. This is my observation, India and other foreign agencies will give more evidence to the global watchdog against Pakistan and it will not get its name off the list. Rather, FATF will increase more pressure on Pakistan and its demands will increase.  

To counter the pressure, I had approached International Court of Justice (ICJ) and it committed that they would bring India in the ambit of FATF with regard to the human rights violations there. There has been no letter from government asking that India should be placed on some monitoring or sanction list of FATF. I am also approaching ICJ with the help of some lawyers and Kashmiri leaders and will lodge a complaint to the international forum against Indian brutalities in Occupied Kashmir. I would ask government to either join me or I will join it to approach ICJ against India on Kashmir issue.

I have now got registered a think tank with the name of Institute of Reforms and Research and I will take up this issue internationally from this platform. This forum includes retired generals, retired secretaries, retired foreign secretaries, former ambassadors, and people belonging to minorities. I am making this effort because Pakistan needs reforms, and laws have become obsolete.

TN: What is your view on the overall regional situation?

Rehman Malik: Both the foreign ministers of US and China berated each other in Alaska and this clearly showed their minds. China’s allegation against US in an open forum that it is pursuing people to attack China was actually indication towards India.

 I’ve been saying for the last two years that India was being prepared as a policeman against China. For Pakistan, it is a critical situation as there is China on one side and India on the other side.

I’ve information that US wanted that India and Pakistan should increase relations. US is doing so because it wanted to bring more negativity against China which Pakistan didn’t want to do. The west is also increasing pressure on Pakistan to make good relations with India. We are talking about connectivity but this could not be made till peace is attained in the region. The connectivity with Afghanistan could not be made until Taliban, the main stakeholder there, could be satisfied. Daesh and Taliban can be used against China as they had been used in the past against Pakistan.

Talking about joint declaration at the Moscow Dialogue, Rehman Malik said that all stakeholders are jumping in to bringing the situation normal but as long as US is not withdrawing its forces, peace could not be resumed in Afghanistan. The withdrawal date is open ended and this will be disliked by Taliban. I have information that US is working on it to increase its relations with Taliban and it can replicate the situation of 1990s.  

Afghanistan has become a base of west and they would not leave it from their hands especially when their relations with China are not good and they want to use the situation to suppress the China.

TN: Whether government is capable enough to overcome the situation?

Rehman Malik: Our institutions are alert and giving full assistance to Prime Minister Imran Khan and all depends on how smartly and amicably he handles China and US together. The question is whether the PM would make such a diplomacy to satisfy both. We are facing world pressure to make good relations with India, but the question remains whether we can do this or not? Let us see what we can do about?

The country’s foreign policy and its security instructions should pre-empt the situation emerging after May 1 withdrawal deadline.

TN: How do you see the statements of US government that withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan might not be possible till the deadline of May 1?

Rehman Malik: The situation is very disturbing. Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has worked very hard to make useful the Afghan peace process. The Doha agreement was a good package to bring peace in the country. But I have confirmed assessment that US will not be going to withdraw its forces even partially from Afghanistan after May 1. This will lead Afghan Taliban to enhance its spring offensive. I am seeing increased violence in Afghanistan after May 1.

TN: US President Joe Biden has not made a formal contact with Prime Minister Imran Khan after taking oath, how do you see this?

Rehman Malik: US President should have replied to the congratulation message of Prime Minister Imran Khan. US Foreign Relations Committee has said that minorities were not safe in India but I am seeing that US would not take any action against it as they have vested interests and will never sanction India. The whole world is sleeping over the brutalities of PM Modi’s government being committed against minorities and Muslims in India.

I think that US doesn’t want to create an imbalance in the region. If US President Joe Biden visits Pakistan, India would become angry and vice versa. US wanted to bring on track some things between Pakistan and India so the President could justify the Americans that they are serious to bring peace in the region.

TN: Whether China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project would face hurdles in the whole situation?

Rehman Malik: CPEC has already got disturbed as new projects are not being started under it and the government is not paying attention towards already initiated projects. The government is not giving money to those power plants established by Chinese companies saying that agreements were made in higher rates. Whether you were sleeping when these agreements were signed and this thing is being taken negative in China. Some people wanted to create negativity with China. China has never complained about these things at any level or with government as it wants to take forward the CPEC and its relations with Pakistan.  

TN: Whether PDM will remain intact after the refusal of PPP to give en masse resignations from the assemblies?

Rehman Malik: The PDM is still intact as politics makes its own way and does not remain static. My view is that PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari gave a very wise statement in the PDM meeting because in politics, you have to move forward by taking along all other stakeholders and the Central Executive Committee of the party earlier had decided that the party would not give en block resignations. He has not made a dent to the unity of opposition. Former president Zardari has rightly said that this is not an appropriate time to tender resignations. This is true because there are many unanswered questions about the situation that can emerge after the resignations, like whether the opposition parties would contest by-elections or not etc.

Perhaps the PTI government is giving an impression that PDM has collapsed which is not true. The rising inflation is more dangerous than any other anti-government movement like PDM. The rising inflation has the potential to unite the people to start an anti-government movement.

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interview with The Nation and the Nawa-i-Waqt.

He also hailed the recent statement of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa proposing peace with India by saying that “it is time to bury the past and move forward.”

Senator A. Rehman Malik, country’s former interior minister and also an author of a number of books, shed light on a host issues ranging from diplomatic to political and regional. He predicted that he was seeing more violence in Afghanistan after the May 1 deadline of US to withdraw its troops from the landlocked country as it was not going to withdraw after this cut-off date. He said that Afghan Taliban were the major stakeholder in Afghanistan and any peace process could not be taken ahead if they were unsatisfied with its terms and conditions.

He also asserted that Pakistan would remain on the grey list of Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global anti-money laundering watchdog, as this was part of India’s conspiracy against Pakistan.

Talking on the political issues, Rehman Malik said that former president and his party leader Asif Ali Zardari’s remarks in an important meeting of the opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) were wise enough and the opposition collation was facing no threat with the position taken by PPP on the issue of resignations.

He also claimed that his party leadership was soon going to give him new important responsibilities and he has complete trust in all decisions of the party.

Following are the questions and replies of Senator A. Rehman Malik:

The Nation (TN): Does IS gaining ground in Afghanistan and in the region? What is your assessment?

Senator Rehman Malik: Daesh is a monster and it will leave behind Al-Qaeda and Taliban. Daesh was created for some reasons and huge training is going on within the organization and India is involved in getting it trained. What is your choice if west and India wanted to destabilize the region, and the two countries including Pakistan and China are the main target? I had been saying in the past that Daesh would be used against China. 

I have insight information from Afghanistan that Daesh (IS) and Taliban have made friendships, both will make stronger and will get re-energized, and both these organizations can be used in Muslim majority Xinjiang province of China for sabotage activities. Travelling to China with world connections is not difficult. I am seeing increased cold war plus between China and US.

The Arab spring is being replicated in the region and according to my information, around one million Taliban and Daesh militants were staying in Afghanistan and getting training and they will be either used against Pakistan or China. Let President Ashraf Ghani or somebody else deny this fact.

China has utilized all its energies on its development instead of fighting a war. I have fears that if Afghan Taliban and Daesh entered into those Muslim majority regions of China, the areas will become another Afghanistan and Syria. I am seeing bloodshed there. I am warning with clarity that indicators are not good for China and US and there would be destruction if South Asia became any forum of conflict. There is a triangular tussle going on as Russian is also against US and poor countries like Pakistan would have to bear the brunt of this conflict and Pakistan can go into more isolation in this situation.  

TN: How do you see the statement of COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa made at the National Security Dialogue proposing peace with India?

Rehman Malik: If you go through General Bajwa doctrine, it contained a lot of things about national security, asks for making good relations with India and says that ‘war is not an option but dialogue is the option for the issues.’ The COAS has proposed a sensible solution of the matter as Pakistan needs to keep itself away from the conflict of Daesh, Taliban and world powers. But the Army Chief also pointed out that Pakistan cannot move forward till the resolution of Kashmir issue.  

I would say that Pakistan needs to sit with India on equal terms. This is an initiative of the COAS and is a good opportunity for India to use the occasion and should talk about composite dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues including water with Pakistan. India should come forward and move ahead on this proposal and bring the Kashmir issue on the table.

This statement has made stronger the position of Pakistan as Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi had been saying at every forum that Pakistan doesn’t talk with us. With these remarks, the narrative of India has faced a setback.

TN: Whether FATF would remove Pakistan’s name from its grey list?

Rehman Malik: It was painful for me when FATF president stated that they had started increased monitoring on Pakistan. I had written a letter to him seeking to explain the limits of this monitoring. This is my observation, India and other foreign agencies will give more evidence to the global watchdog against Pakistan and it will not get its name off the list. Rather, FATF will increase more pressure on Pakistan and its demands will increase.  

To counter the pressure, I had approached International Court of Justice (ICJ) and it committed that they would bring India in the ambit of FATF with regard to the human rights violations there. There has been no letter from government asking that India should be placed on some monitoring or sanction list of FATF. I am also approaching ICJ with the help of some lawyers and Kashmiri leaders and will lodge a complaint to the international forum against Indian brutalities in Occupied Kashmir. I would ask government to either join me or I will join it to approach ICJ against India on Kashmir issue.

I have now got registered a think tank with the name of Institute of Reforms and Research and I will take up this issue internationally from this platform. This forum includes retired generals, retired secretaries, retired foreign secretaries, former ambassadors, and people belonging to minorities. I am making this effort because Pakistan needs reforms, and laws have become obsolete.

TN: What is your view on the overall regional situation?

Rehman Malik: Both the foreign ministers of US and China berated each other in Alaska and this clearly showed their minds. China’s allegation against US in an open forum that it is pursuing people to attack China was actually indication towards India. 

 I’ve been saying for the last two years that India was being prepared as a policeman against China. For Pakistan, it is a critical situation as there is China on one side and India on the other side.

I’ve information that US wanted that India and Pakistan should increase relations. US is doing so because it wanted to bring more negativity against China which Pakistan didn’t want to do.