NEW DELHI: Pakistans political parties may be celebrating Pervez Musharrafs exit but in India there is concern about a power vacuum at the top, and the worry that instability there will encourage radical and extremist elements to create problems for India.

More so, because Musharrafs resignation has come at a time when Jammu amp; Kashmir is on fire and anti-India sentiments are once again being publicly bandied about. The first to voice concern on this score was national security adviser MK Narayanan, when he said in a recent interview that Pervez Musharrafs ouster would leave a power vacuum in Pakistan which could lead to radical extremist outfits emerging stronger and create problems not just along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border but on the Indian side as well.

The NSAs comment has irritated Pakistan Muslim League chief Nawaz Sharif, the man behind the impeachment proceedings, who felt it was unbecoming of democratic India to be concerned about the fate of a dictator. However, the ground reality is such New Delhi cannot but be worried.

But some in India tend to agree with Nawaz Sharif. Secretary KC Singh, who just retired from the foreign service and was involved in the anti-terror talks with Pakistan, says: "There are opportunities in Musharrafs resignation and there is no reason why we should be disappointed at his exit despite the limited success democratic forces have had in Pakistan so far." He says it is good for India to support the democratic forces in Pakistan, though it is too early to say if the squabbling politicians will lead to another army general taking over the reins in the country.

Singh is critical of external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjees remarks that "It is an internal matter of Pakistan".

Mukherjee, however, also made it clear that the peace process would continue and recalled his last visit to Pakistan when he met the new democratic leaders of the country. "During my visit, I had, in fact, developed a personal relationship with the leaders of that country. From Nawaz Sharif to Asif Ali Zardari and Yusuf Gilani, I had cordial discussions with all of them and it seems to me that a positive approach could be made in improving our relations," Mukherjee said in Kolkata.

He recalled with warmth the fact that Nawaz Sharif had telephoned him from London when he met with an accident last year.

What Mukherjee did not say was the fear in New Delhi that, with the political parties not in complete control of the country, rogue elements within Pakistans powerful Inter Services Intelligence would take advantage of the situation to stir trouble in Kashmir and strike soft targets in the Indian heartland. India believes the ISI had a hand in the suicide attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul on July 7.

The ISIs strategy has long been to continue bleeding India not just in Kashmir but now its long arms have found willing hands among a section of disgruntled Islamists in the country.
Source : DNA