LAHORE, Pakistan: Encouraging India to attack Pakistan was one of the options for the Soviet Union if it wanted a way out in Afghanistan.
This was contended by Gulbadin Hikmatyar, President of the HizbeIslami, Afghanistan, while speaking here on Thursday.
He was apparently of the view that India was not inclined to go along in the exercise of this.
Option at the moment due to its internal situation. He did not comment on what Pakistan’s options would be in case the internal situation changed in India inducing it perhaps to consider the “attack Pakistan” option more favorably.
The other option for the Soviet Union he declared was to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan. The issue of guaranteeing safe passage for Soviet troops could be discussed, he said. But, he added, they were not willing to stop fighting for discussions while Soviet forces were present in Afghanistan.
He denied the involvement of the Afghan refugees in the recent Karachi riots, or in the arms and drugs trade. “The communists”, he said, “were responsible for spreading this slander”.
The Mujahideen, Mr. Hikamatyar declared, would only settle for the unconditional withdrawal of the Soviet forces for Afghanistan.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 20, 1987
