Chairman Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir and Ameer Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Maulana Fazlur Rahman criticised President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday for terming militants operating in Kashmir “terrorists” and for saying that India has never been a threat to Pakistan.

“Zardari is our president but he is inexperienced and needs to know the right choice of words,” Maulana Fazlur Rahman told reporters here. In an interview with Wall Street Journal (WSJ) columnist Bret Stephens, Zardari had said the militants in Kashmir were “terrorists,” though previous regimes in Pakistan called them freedom fighters. He added that India had never been a threat to his country.

“I believe Zardari’s statement that India was never a threat to Pakistan meant to have better future relations with the country,” said Maulana Fazlur Rahman.In his last press conference, former president Pervez Musharraf had termed the militants as “freedom fighters” and had said that Pakistan would continue “moral and diplomatic support” to their cause.

The WSJ quoted Zardari as saying: “I, for one, and our democratic government is not scared of Indian influence abroad.” Zardari also said that he has no objection to the India-US nuclear cooperation pact, so long as Pakistan is treated “at par.”

“Why would we begrudge the largest democracy in the world getting friendly with one of the oldest democracies in the world?” he said.Maulana Fazlur Rahman, who is part of the coalition government at the Centre, said he will demand that Zardari change the words he used for the Kashmiri militants.

“I am confident that the president will rephrase his words,” he said. Maulana Fazl said Pakistan considers Kashmir a disputed territory and “Pakistanis have always respected the freedom struggle of their Kashmiri brothers”.

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