DATE=8/25/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-237634
TITLE=PAKISTAN BHUTTO (L)
BYLINE=DOUGLAS BAKSHIAN
DATELINE=ISLAMABAD
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  FORMER PAKISTANI PRIME MINISTER BENAZIR BHUTTO SAYS HER 
COUNTRY'S OFFICIAL POLICY OF NEUTRALITY IN THE AFGHAN CIVIL WAR 
MAY HAVE BEEN UNDERMINED BY GROUPS WITHIN PAKISTAN.  
CORRESPONDENT DOUGLAS BAKSHIAN REPORTS FROM ISLAMABAD.

TEXT:  AT A NEWS CONFERENCE IN THE PAKISTANI CAPITAL, MRS. BHUTTO
CALLED FOR AN INVESTIGATION INTO PERSISTENT CHARGES PAKISTAN HAS 
SUPPORTED THE TALEBAN MOVEMENT WITH ARMS AND TRAINING. 

IRAN, RUSSIA, AND AFGHAN OPPOSITION FORCES HAVE REPEATEDLY 
ACCUSED PAKISTAN'S POWERFUL INTER-SERVICES-INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, 
THE I-S-I, OF INVOLVEMENT WITH THE TALEBAN.

MRS. BHUTTO SAYS SHE DOES  NOT  KNOW IF THIS IS TRUE, BUT SOME 
KIND OF PROBE SHOULD BE HELD. 

                       //  BHUTTO ACT  //

         I DO NOT KNOW WHETHER IT WAS THE I-S-I.  I DO NOT KNOW 
         WHETHER THERE ARE OTHER PARAMILITARY GROUPS FROM 
         MADRASSAS WHO WERE ACTING UPON THEIR OWN.  WHAT I AM 
         CALLING UPON PAKISTAN TO DO NOW IS TO HOLD AN INQUIRY AS
         TO WHY THERE IS A PERCEIVED DICHOTOMY (CONTRADICTION) 
         BETWEEN THE POLICY ANNOUNCED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF 
         PAKISTAN AND THE GROUND REALITIES AS PERCEIVED BY OUR 
         NEIGHBORS.

                         //  END ACT //

THE MADRASSAS MRS. BHUTTO REFERRED TO ARE RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS RUN 
BY RIGHT WING ISLAMIC PARTIES IN PAKISTAN.  ISLAMABAD HAS 
ACKNOWLEDGED SOME RELIGIOUS PARTIES, ACTING ON THEIR OWN, HAVE 
SENT PEOPLE INTO AFGHANISTAN TO FIGHT FOR THE TALEBAN.  BUT 
ISLAMABAD DENIES OFFICIAL INVOLVEMENT OF ITS MILITARY OR SECURITY
AGENCIES WITH THE TALEBAN.  

THE TALEBAN MOVEMENT APPEARED ON THE SCENE IN 1994 WHEN MRS. 
BHUTTO WAS IN POWER.  PAKISTAN IS ONE OF THE THREE COUNTRIES, 
ALONG WITH SAUDI ARABIA AND THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, THAT 
RECOGNIZES THE TALEBAN GOVERNMENT.   (SIGNED)

NEB/DB/LTD/RAE

25-Aug-98 12:02 PM EDT (1602 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.