The burden of proving otherwise has long been on the Pakistani government. Perhaps some officials in a nation that was for decades stifled behind the Iron Curtain have fewer qualms about telling it like it is. Another, however, termed it “unnecessary honesty.”
An update on this story. “Angry Poland accuses Pak of fostering terrorism,” from the Times of India, February 10:
WASHINGTON: Poland has joined the ranks of countries accusing Pakistan of inaction, if not outright complicity in terrorist activity, following the beheading last week of a Polish national by the Pakistani Taliban.
In a furious response that has stunned the international diplomatic community, Polish justice minister Andrzej Czuma on Monday blamed Pakistan’s ”apathy” in tackling terrorism for the killing of a Polish geologist who was kidnapped by the Pakistani Taliban from Attock town in Punjab.
“The structure of the Pakistani government is behind this apathy. The Pakistani authorities encourage these bandits,” Czuma told a Polish news agency, even as the horrific killing recalled the similar beheading of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.
The minister’s outburst stunned his own colleagues in the diplomatic circuit who are a little more circumspect in public about Pakistan’s reputation as a haven of terrorism. ”It was unnecessary honesty, it sent shivers down my spine when I heard Minister Czuma speaking,” Pawe? Gra?, a member of the Polish parliament’s Special Services Committee and Czuma’s party colleague told the Polish media.
However, so great is the outrage in Warsaw over the brutal killing that the Poland’s Senate speaker has called off a visit by his Pakistani counterpart this week.
Speaker Bogdan Borusewicz said Tuesday his decision is not an unfriendly gesture toward Pakistan but was made after taking into consideration ”the situation in which our countryman was murdered.” Other European countries also expressed revulsion at yet another beheading in Pakistan. …