Ex-ISI head accepts Jaish hand in Parliament attack

Former ISI chief General Javed Ashraf Qazi has blamed the banned militant group, Jaish-e-Mohammad, for the terrorist attack on the Indian Parliament in 2001 and the recent suicide attacks on President Pervez  Musharraf.

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"We must not be afraid of admitting that Jaish was involved in the deaths of thousands of innocent Kashmiris, bombing the Indian Parliament, (journalist) Daniel Pearl's murder and attempts on President Musharraf's life," Qazi said participating in a debate in the senate on Musharraf's address to the joint sitting of Parliament.

India has blamed Jaish and another Pakistan-based  militant outfit, Lashkar-e-Tayiba, for the attack on Parliament. The two organisations were subsequently banned by Musharraf.

Qazi, who served as a senior minister in Musharraf's military government, said both Jaish and the Lashkar-e-Tayiba
have harmed the Kashmir struggle the most.
 
The ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Qazi) member blamed sectarian outfit, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, for the attacks on minority Shias in Pakistan.

Both Jaish and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi are products of a campaign of hatred, he said adding that "they are producing zombies to kill their Muslim brothers," the Daily Times said.

Referring to the attack on Shias by Sunni extremist organisations like Jhangvi, Qazi said Pakistan intelligence agencies knew about 10,000 religious institutions which were inciting Shias and Sunnis against each other.

He denied allegations made by Pakistan's opposition parties that the army alone had made the country's Afghan policy and supported Taliban.

Former Interior Minister Naseerullah Khan Babar of the Pakistan Peoples Party, led by former Prime Minister Benazir
Bhutto, had first contacted the Afghan commanders, he said.

"I saluted him for that because it was a correct decision at that time," Qazi said terming Taliban as the product of the circumstances.

The retired general said, the Arab countries had always accused Pakistan of harbouring terrorists and disclosed that the Egyptian President Anwar al Sadaat's killer had taken refuge in Peshawar.