The report about the ISI's decision was last week published by America's Wall Street Journal quoting an unnamed senior ISI officer. The paper, however, said it was unclear whether this fresh assessment of the ISI, largely staffed by active military officers, was fully endorsed by Pakistan's military and civilian government. Many analysts in Pakistan are said to agree with the report.

One is not sure whether the ISI's reported decision represents a change in its strategic thinking based on Pakistan's changed ground realities. Or the story is a plant to hoodwink the country's biggest donor US about the Pakistani rulers 'sincerity' in fighting the US-led war on terror. One is also not sure if the report is designed to convince India that Pakistani rulers genuinely want to pursue peace talks with India.

What lend weight to such doubts is the classified Afghan war files published by the American investigating agency Wikileaks exposing Pakistan's double role in the US-spearheaded war on terror. The classified documents said that on the one hand, Pakistan was assuring full support for the fight on terror but on the other hand, it was clandestinely backing the Taliban and al-Quida in Afghanistan. The revelation has not come as a surprise to India. The Pakistani authorities have, through the ISI, been playing this double role -seeking peace and normal relations with India while at the same time promoting terrorism in the country, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, in pursuant of its one-point programme of grabbing Kashmir.

No doubt, in its 63 year history, Pakistan is facing biggest threat to its existence from the homegrown terrorist groups like Pakistani Taliban. Many of these groups that Pakistani military worked with in the past have now turned Frankenstein making the Army and the civil population as their target. By killing innocent people they are creating political instability which may lead to Army takeover. But others, especially those who are involved in activities in India, remain within the ISI's area of influence. Some of them like Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed which was founded by the terrorist leaders whom Jaswant Singh had flown to Afghanistan for release there in exchange for the Indian hostages during the NDA rule have been indulging in terrorist violence in India. Besides admission of his guilt by Kasab who was one of the Pakistanis responsible for terror attacks in Mumbai, the Pakistani-American David Coleman Headley arrested by the US police has confirmed that Pakistani Army officers had links with terrorist suspects.

While the ISI report says it considers Pakistani terrorists as its enemy number one, it is quiet about the activities of terrorist groups in India, particularly Kashmir, and Afghanistan. It does not require media's investigation to prove that the ISI and elements in the Army continue their support for the terrorist groups like Afghani Taliban and al-Quaida. They are posing threat to the Karzai's Afghanistan government and the US forces carrying on anti-terrorist operations in the country. .

The very fact that the ISI has described only the “homegrown terrorist groups as its number one enemy” exposes its hypocritical stand on terrorism. The credibility of its claim of fighting terrorists will be tested if it puts a stop to infiltrations of Pakistan-based trained armed militants into India, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir. Punjab government has also claimed that such infiltrations are taking place in the state and that efforts are being made to revive terrorism in Punjab.

The ISI now seems to be adding another sinister dimension to its Kashmir operations. Apparently encouraged by its operatives, some extremist Islamist organizations have threatened the Valley's Sikhs to either embrace Islam or quit the state. Sikhs numbering 60,000 are the state's single largest minority. The threat is a repeat of similar threats issued by the militants to the Valley's Pandits two decades ago forcing the Pandits, then the Valley's largest minority, to migrate to Jammu region or other parts of the country.

The diabolic intention of those behind the threats to the Sikhs obviously is an attempt to turn the state into a 100 percent Muslim state and strengthen Pakistan's claim on the Valley. Ironically, the separatist organizations including both the hard liners and soft liners who had been urging the migrant Pandits to return to their homeland have adopted a passive attitude on the threats to the Sikh community. It is not enough for the hardline faction of All Party Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani to assure the Sikh delegation, which met him, of safety of the Sikhs.

The two latest developments on terrorism call for a change in New Delhi and Omar Abdullah government's strategy to tactfully but firmly deal with the diabolic intentions of the terrorists and their Pakistani masters. The developments are: ISI's reported decision to treat only the Pakistan-based terrorist groups as enemy number one but continuing promoting terrorism in India, particularly in Kashmir; and, the extremist Islamic organizations threat to Sikhs to embrace Islam or quit the state. (IPA Service)