The writer is a retired army officer and a freelance columnist
kshafi1@yahoo.com.uk

So then, poor Daniel Pearl, a guest in the Islamic Republic, a man who had written much about the plight of the world's down-trodden whether they were Kashmiris suffering under the Indian jackboot or the Palestinians who were writhing under the Israeli, was murdered in cold blood by those who call themselves Mujahids, "holy warriors", his head hacked off his torso. What a beautiful spectacle we have made of ourselves in front of the rest of the world yet again; what kind and gentle and God-fearing people we have shown ourselves to be when we murdered that poor man on our holiest of days - Eid-ul-Azha. Felicitation and Mubarik to all, specially to the leaders of the "soft" state of Pakistan. Who, mark, let alone "cracking his case within 48 hours", have seen the man murdered under their very noses.

I have often said that not even a sparrow can fly in Pakistan if the Establishment deems it will not. How firmly then, is the present military government in control of the situation? If reports coming out of the Fatherland are to be believed, its hold is tenuous to say the least, with selective information getting to it. Indeed there are credible reports that the news of Pearl's dastardly murder were held from Mein President for a whole three days or more. Well, the situation can only worsen henceforth, ten Shias already having been slaughtered outside an Imambargah in GHQ's own city. Yes, my dear Sirs, our wretched country is completely ready for elections.

From all accounts there were several "reasons" for which poor old Pearl was done to death, the most serious of which was the fact that he was a Jew. For, immediately before he was killed, he was made to announce that he was a Jew, his mother was a Jew, his father was a Jew. Let us then put this Jew thing to rest first.

It is often said by these brave "Mujahids" of ours, that they do what they do for the freedom of Muslims all over the world, specially Kashmiri and Palestinian Muslims. Well, they should then well remember the yeoman service of two Jews, one American and one British, to these two causes; far more than most Muslims. These two Jews are Joseph Korbel, the former Czech diplomat (and father of Madeleine Albright); who migrated to the United States in 1946, became an academic and was the UN's rapporteur on Kashmir; and the Right Honourable Gerald Kaufman, Labour MP , and Chairman of the House of Common's Culture, Sports and Media Select Committee.

This is some of what Mr Korbel wrote in his book 'Danger in Kashmir' something like forty-five years ago: "The two great nations of the subcontinent, India and Pakistan, continue to dissipate their wealth, their strength and their energy on a near fratricidal struggle in which the hitherto almost unknown state of Kashmir has become the physical battleground. Because of the constant unjustifiable postponement of the solution to the conflict ... Kashmir has become a veritable powder keg for the whole of Asia.''

And, talking about the various methods in which a solution could be arrived at, Professor Korbel says, "...if these and other factors are kept in mind, an equitable and honorable solution of the Kashmir conflict may yet be found. The procedures and processes would matter little, whether by mediation, arbitration on individual non political aspects of the dispute, or through the engagement of the International Court of Justice. Varied solutions, acceptable to parties directly concerned, could then be reached, whether accession to India or Pakistan, independence, partition or condominium."

And now for the other Jew, Gerald Kaufman, MP. Mr Kaufman is one of those few British MPs who have stoutly defended the Kashmiris' right to self-determine. He has mounted pickets alongside Kashmiris, he has led protest marches against Indian excesses in Kashmir. He was even part of the immensely successful British -Kashmiri Lobby to the European Parliament, Brussels, in 1995. On the Palestinian Question, this Jew had the following to say in a House of Commons speech a few weeks ago: "Today the Prime Minister has had the dubious experience of meeting the Prime Minister of Israel (Ariel Sharon), a war criminal who was condemned by the Kahan commission's judicial inquiry into the Sabra and Shatila massacre in which 800 people were killed. The commission ordered him to be dismissed from the Israeli Government.

"The Right Hon Member for Fylde (Mr Jack) talked about Mr Netanyahu. I cannot share the Right Hon Gentleman's regard for him; the only thing that can be said for him is that he is not as bad as Sharon. People like Netanyahu and Sharon say, "Don't get at us, we're an independent country. We've a right to pursue our own policies." Okay, we should tell the Israelis, "Be independent if you want, but be completely independent of western economic and military aid." I suggest that we offer that choice, and I do so as a Jew and as somebody who has been a Zionist all his life, and remains a Zionist: as somebody who was brought up as a Zionist and has close ties to the state of Israel. I also do so as the first Front-Bench Member to support the establishment of a Palestinian state, which I still support."

Do Their Holiness's get the point? That being a Jew or not is not of the essence, what is of the essence is whether you are a good man who speaks the truth. Who saw Mariane Pearl on CNN the day after her husband's fate had finally become clear. I did, with tears in my eyes for what she said about my beautiful country. Hers was the most eloquent defence of Pakistan that I have ever heard, more than anything else because she sounded so sincere. A sample:

"CHRIS BURNS: Mariane, thank you for joining us. You came to Pakistan in peace. You came here seeking the truth with your husband. You leave Pakistan as a widow after your husband was brutally murdered. What message would you have (for) the people of Pakistan?

MARIANE PEARL: Well, first of all, I would tell them that my feelings and my affection for this country have not changed because of what happened here. On the contrary, people have shown tremendous support to me. They have shared my sorrow. I know they feel bad, ashamed, sad about what happened.

Also, the people who have been actually around me during all this ordeal in this terrible time have ... basically, been people of heart and of a tremendous professionalism with very, very limited resources, very limited resources, they have shown an unlimited amount of courage, of commitment, individual commitment, as well, to try and find Danny.

That has meant a lot to me and I know that the people like Danny's family and Danny's friends have not shared that and it's even harder, in a way, for them because having been surrounded by such human quality, regardless of whether they are Pakistani or some other nationality, but just human, you know, they were shocked as much as I was. Maybe not as much, but I mean they really shared my suffering and it meant a lot.

So I really want to tell them that and thank them for that, all of them, all of these investigators as well as the anonymous people that have shown their support. And now I also want to tell them to find the people who have killed Danny.

BURNS: And how much hope do you have that they will?

PEARL: Well, honestly, that depends, I think, a lot on how the world responds to it. I was mentioning the lack of resources, as it happens Karachi is at the front line of a battle that it's leading and it's fighting on behalf of the rest of the world because this is, this happens to be at the front line for a lot of reasons. There are immediate political and historical reasons. Yes, Pakistan have supported the Taliban before. Yes, there's been the war in Afghanistan, all this before now. You know, Pakistan is also the natural, like second front, right? So that's a reality.

"There's also deeper reasons that we all know but more vaguely. Lack of education, it's a major one, absolutely major one, lack of resources, lack of hope, lack of scope for the people. I don't think that any more we can consider that that's the problem of Pakistan alone. It's not anymore. Danny was killed and only this month, 10 other people were killed by terrorists, and they were all Pakistani. So they're suffering as much as we are."

Does this shame the ringleaders of the murder? It certainly shames me. Incidentally, why are they being kept in the very "soft" city of Karachi, and not in Attock Fort which is (hopefully) completely secure?

By the way, Mein President, what about making Mariane Pearl an Honorary Citizen of Pakistan, and then appointing her Honorary Roving Ambassador - she'll do far better than all the "core-professionals" put together. More than anything else she will have credibility.