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In the spotlight: Jamia Millia Islamia Vice-Chancellor Prof Mushirul Hasan

One Kalashnikov plus one Kalashnikov makes two AK 47s, this is how they teach maths to kindergarten kids in Pakistan's restive Balochistan, according to a prominent Pashtun politician from the region.

"The syllabus which was set for the schools in the violence-marred region by the University of Nebraska has been totally changed to corrupt the young minds," said Afrasiab Khattak, chairman of the Balochistan Awami National Party.

World War coming

Khattak warned of an impending "world war" if the volatile situation in Balochistan, a part of Pakistan's tribal North West Frontier Province(NWFP), is not controlled.

The ANP has been a prominent critic of former Pakistan military ruler Pervez Musharraf's policies for the region.
"If we fail to contain violence in the tribal areas on Pakistan's border with Afghanistan,  the region can become a breeding ground for fundamentalists, who would fuel conflict. The worst case scenario is that it may lead to another world war," he said.

Khattak was in the city to address a symposium 'Peace Making Today: Learning from Mahatma Gandhi and Badshah Khan', which was attended by Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma and Gandhian philosophers.

Russians started it

The Pakistani politician explained that the seeds of conflict were sown in the region after the Russian invasion of Afghanistan. "Several madrasas were opened in the bordering region, which preached waging a holy war against the Russian occupation," he said.

However, he refused to name any particular agency for the problem. "It's a sum total of all the factors over the last 20 years. We cannot blame the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency of the US), ISI or even the terrorists," he said.

A prominent political figure of the NWFP, Khattak, said nothing much has changed after the US strikes in the region. "It is something which was waiting to happen."

The event took off with a peace march from Jamia Millia Islamia University. Prof Mushirul Hasan, Vice-Chancellor of the University was also in attendance but he left soon after making a brief speech.