The Pakistani establishment is going out of its was to promote Sufi Mohammed, the man behind the peace agreement in northwestern Pakistan, as a moderate cleric only interested in peace. This article, passed along by Chidu Rajghatta at The Times of India, who is closely following the Pakistan peace accord, is rich in irony. The author portrays Sufi as “a simple and peaceful man who does not preach violence except in the way of jihad against non- Muslims.” To top that, the author, Asad Munir, “is a former brigadier who served as chief of military intelligence and of the ISI for NWFP, FATA and the Northern Areas.” It has been well documented that elements of Pakistan’s ISI, or Inter-Services Intelligence agency continues to back extremist groups to this day. Just in case you might have any doubts about Sufi’s positions, his own words can speak for him. Here are some select Sufi quotes over the past few days:
In case it wasn’t clear, the Taliban government he is referring to is Mullah Omar’s paradise-on-earth in Afghanistan from 1996-2001. Back to the ISI, Nadeem H. Kiani, the press attache for the Embassy of Pakistan, wants us to know that the ISI isn’t part of the problem, it is part of the solution. In another case of unintended irony, Mr. Kiani’s letter to the editor is titled “Intelligence agency of Pakistan pivotal in war on terror.” He is correct that the ISI is a critical player in the war, but not the way he thinks it is.
