Pakistan

Re “Pakistan Arrests Alleged Plotters,” Oct. 19:

We were surprised by this article that imputed ulterior political motives to Pakistan’s arrest of a group of military officers suspected of conduct inimical to the state. The arrest of these officers is based on prima facie evidence that will be presented to a court of law after thorough investigation. Therefore, to view their arrest as an effort to curry favor with the Clinton Administration and to suggest that it was a deliberate political decision to influence Senate-House deliberations on the one-time waiver of the Pressler Amendment so that arms already paid for may be released to Pakistan is patently wrong.

Pakistan’s stand on terrorism is unambiguous and so are the efforts of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s government. Her government has consistently worked both internally and internationally against terrorism and drug-trafficking. She has taken bold, often politically dangerous steps against illegal activities of disgruntled elements of Islamic fundamentalists--closing universities that were used as a cover of subversive activities, extraditing arraigned terrorists, including the infamous World Trade Center bombing’s [alleged mastermind] Ramzi Yousef, and putting Pakistan at the forefront of the United Nations peacekeeping activities all over the world. In short, she has ably led Pakistan as a moderate, secular, democratic alternative to extremism.

On the issue of embargoed arms already paid for by Pakistan, rest assured we will continue to demand that the United States do the right thing and either send the small package of defensive weapons already paid for or return our money. There is no gray area here. We only want justice and fair play. No political posturing is needed by Islamabad in defense of its principled position.

RIFAAT HUSSAIN, Minister (Press)

Embassy of Pakistan

Washington