Pakistan's Prime Minister Is Sending Contradictory Messages to the US

Pakistan's Prime Minister Is Sending Contradictory Messages to the US

Benazir Bhutto, Prime Minister of Pakistan, has criticized the United States and the West for having trained warriors to fight the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the name of Islamic holy war, and then having withdrawn hastily when the Soviet forces withdrew from Afghanistan (''Two Shootings in Karachi,'' March 22). The same Ms. Bhutto and other Pakistanis have repeatedly criticized the regime of Mohammed Zia ul-Haq for having sought American help during the Afghan war.

Now Bhutto, only a few days after her criticism of the American policy of arming the so-called Muslim militants during the Afghan war, turns to the Americans and pleads with them ''to carry out the entire cleansing operation'' in Pakistan. Here is the prime minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, who took a solemn oath when she became prime minister to promote the Islamic ideology in Pakistan, pleading with the Americans to help her deal with the problem of Islamic militancy.

As a democratic leader with the support of the Pakistan People's Party behind her, is it not her duty to use the party as a means to bring about constructive change among her people so that they focus their energies on community-building projects instead of indulging in senseless sectarian killings?

Khalid Bin Sayeed, Kingston, Canada

Professor Emeritus, Political Studies

Queen's University