'RAW Is Training 600 Balochis In Afghanistan'

The man widely regarded as Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's right-hand man claims India is playing the Great Game inside Afghanistan and paints the possibility of it destabilising the region

By Mariana Baabar INTERVIEWS Mushahid Hussain Sayed

24 April 2006

Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed is a man who wears many caps: he is the Pakistan Senate foreign relations committee chairman, the secretary-general of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League, and widely regarded as Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's right-hand man. A former editor of a major national daily, Hussain knows a thing or two about the unrest in Balochistan. It was a parliamentary committee headed by him that had recommended that the government grant autonomy to the Balochis, and ensure their province wasn't forgotten in the rapid economic development of Pakistan.

Mariana Baabar met Hussain at his residence in Islamabad's upscale E-sector. Though the joke here is that the E is for Extremely Rich, Hussain's own home is modest. His phone keeps ringing as he takes calls from politicians of all ideological hues. Between calls, he talks about the Great Game India's playing inside Afghanistan and its possibility of destabilising the region. Excerpts:

Why should Pakistan complain about India having several consulates in Afghanistan? They...

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