Fear and Leaving in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD -- Foreigners living in Pakistan have started to leave the country in large numbers as the military government agrees to "full cooperation" with the United States in apprehending the masterminds of Tuesday's terrorist attacks, believed to be hiding in Afghanistan.

As fear of an American attack on Afghanistan mounts and complete secrecy shrouds the government's moves and decisions, foreigners working in multinational companies, oil companies, non-governmental organizations and other aid agencies have started to leave the country. "Most bookings are sought on a one-way travel basis. Most of the leaving foreigners are Europeans, American and Japanese and are either high-level managers or technical staff in foreign companies," confirmed officials in the international airlines and travel industry. However, none of the travel agents reported any extraordinary movement of diplomats or United Nations personnel.

Most of these foreigners are traveling in groups of 10 or more. A large bulk of traffic is directed to London and other European cities, Tokyo, and Dubai. A group of around 70 Japanese is leaving tomorrow for Tokyo and other East Asian destinations. Smaller groups of German and Dutch nationals are also leaving in the next few days for destinations in Europe. An unidentified number of American nationals working in Pakistan took an Emirates flight out of Pakistan on Wednesday. "The groups which are not getting reservations through to their destinations are just going to Dubai. They just want to get out of here," said another travel agent, requesting not to be named.

While foreigners are leaving the country, the Pakistani people are totally confused about the shape of things to come. They are still unaware of the weekend decisions on the level of cooperation that the country's National Security Council and the cabinet agreed to extend to Washington. The country's Foreign Minister Abdus Sattar gave little details as he addressed the press conference, though he said the Pakistani president would address the nation sometime soon. What he did clarify was Pakistan's position that it does not want to be part of any military action outside its borders.

General Musharraf has already started to meet the political leaders and opinion-makers to take them into confidence over cooperation Islamabad has extended to Washington, though an alliance of 42 mainstream parties has voiced its opposition to American attack on Afghanistan and asked the government not to allow the U.S. to use the country's ground or airspace for their purpose.

The situation also became more complex after the Taliban administration issued a warning that it would declare war on any neighboring country that allowed the United States forces use its ground or airspace for an attack on Afghanistan. The warning was apparently aimed at Pakistan, which is now pressuring the Taliban to hand over Osama bin Laden (the prime suspect for attacks on the American cities) to the United States. Though the chances are slim that the Taliban would give in, the move is said to be Islamabad's last-ditch effort to ward off a full-fledged U.S. attack on war-ravaged Afghanistan.

The Taliban militia said, on the other hand, it would regard such cooperation as an act of war. "In such an eventuality, our mujahideen (holy warriors) will have no option but to attack that neighboring country," Pakistani domestic newswires quoted a Taliban foreign ministry statement issued in Kabul. The Taliban also ordered foreigners living or working in Afghanistan to leave the country immediately.

Although the Pakistani government is not divulging the details of its cooperation with the United States, the press conference followed statements from Washington thanking the government and the people of Pakistan for extending all support in the American resolve to severe the roots of terrorism that it traces to Afghanistan. In line with the American requests, the country has already sealed its borders with Afghanistan and cut off supplies, particularly fuel, to the Taliban government.