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Revenge is sweet, sanctions bitter, say Pak nationals

The common man across the border strongly favours that Pakistan retaliate in kind to India's nuclear tests but the fear of crippling economic sanctions lurks.

Most Pakistan nationals who arrived at the border checkpost at Attari in Amritsar, Punjab, on board the Samjautha Express yesterday felt their country had nuclear capability and should go ahead to demonstrate it.

Testing a nuclear device would not lead to war between India and Pakistan, said Arshad Mehboob, a medical college student from Lahore.

However, a middle-aged Peshawar businessman who preferred to remain unnamed said economic sanctions imposed following the tests would shatter his country's economy which already was in the doldrums.

Sanctions would have only a marginal impact on India but would cripple Pakistan's economy which is virtually dependent on foreign aid and investment, he said.

Another Pakistan national, Muneer Ahmad, agreed with the businessman, stating that India and other nations are well aware of Pakistan's nuclear capability and that in the country's economic interests there was no need to demonstrate it. The testing of the Ghauri missile was sufficient to demonstrate Pakistan's military strength to the world, he said.

Questioned about the likely implications of the tests conducted by India, Gul Iqbal from a village near Islamabad described India's step as unfortunate. "We in Pakistan are afraid," he said.

Gul Iqbal felt this would lead to a arms race in the region and further escalate tensions. It was a known fact that India had nuclear capability, demonstrated in 1974 and so there was no need to do it again, he felt.

UNI

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