Pakistan’s unabated hostilities

Shiban Khaibri

A coward hides behind lies and deceit- is an old saying and that verily fits into the hostile actions in an unabated manner, though intermittently, indulged in by Pakistan must be baffling the powers that be in that country too as to the purpose thereof and the fact that each time such skirmishes are initiated by it , they get silenced only after receiving severe blows in retaliation from Indian forces. And take its leadership which includes not only the political side but the ones who really overwhelm the decisions taking process of the government – the extreme fundamental and terror supportive elements coupled with Army dictates. The sourpusses of Pakistani leaders on it are all the more disgusting. Seeing the other side though not with much of a turn for any better there, there are voices that are heard at least from the platforms in free airs of countries other than Pakistan where prominent people ridicule such wasteful indulgence of taking “punga” with an emerging military and economic world power, India in respect of daydreaming of snatching Kashmir from it .
Recently, Shahid Afridi, former Pakistani cricketer, stumped Imran Khan going boom boom on him, virtually cracking his mid wicket by pooh poohing raking of Kashmir issue, when all these years, just four provinces it all has, could not be handled by it , how could it manage to handle Kashmir? It had failed in its efforts to keep the country united and safe from extremists. Afridi was interacting with students in a London function. The former cricketer made these remarks , perhaps impressed by the findings of Anatol Lieven’s book “Pakistan – A hard country” that calls Kashmir as Pakistan’s single – minded obsession that has defined Pakistan Army’s “whole character and worldwide”. The book predicts …”pursuit of Kashmir has done terrible damage to Pakistan and could destroy Pakistan altogether…”
Lieven, drawing heavily from ethnographies, histories and observations of many a hue, bases his descriptions on firsthand experience of more than two decades and starts with the creation of Pakistan in historical perspective. He has focussed on contrasting personalities like Dictator Ayub Khan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutoo , Zia-ul-Haq, Parvez Musharaff and others and puts forth his views on contemporary political system. A country which has always focussed on how to trouble and harm India and after “inventing ” the weapon of terrorism, has not only been exporting it to India for the last over three decades but has excelled in it to this extent that it has become an inalienable part of its political dichotomy , a state policy of faith .What has it done in other spheres that affects its people , Lieven gives a description by saying that the key components were continuously suffering – the police, the courts, lawyers etc serve ordinary Pakistanis poorly, leaving a major role for alternative , informal and ages old traditions of justice on a continuum with more puritan and fundamentalist elements such as Jamaat Islami and other radical groups. He says that Pakistan is divided, disorganised, economically backward, corrupt, violent, unjust, often savagely oppressive towards the poor and the women and home sustained extremely dangerous forms of extremism and terrorism.
Referring to Baluchistan, he says that the province is rift by ethnic and tribal divides and torn by separatist movement and is one of the least developed places in Pakistan. Is there a threat to the stability of Pakistan from the Taliban terror groups, he addresses the problem vividly? In short, the writer has summed up by asking whether Pakistan has lost control of its international narrative and had he penned his book a bit recently, most probably he would have written an obituary of its standing in the comity of nations and as an isolated country, denounced by even its oldest ally and conventional saviour of its economy, the United States of America. It, however, draws increasing consolation from the” active support” from China even to the extent of vetoing the proposal in the UN to declare Masood Azhar , Chief of Pakistan based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) as a global terrorist. China being a veto wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council has repeatedly blocked the move of India to designate Masood as a terrorist under the Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council, though it has been in the UN’s list of banned terror outfits.
However, Pakistan has had to pay a huge price to maintain “friendly relations” with China by “gifting “Shakasgam valley forming a large chunk of Indian Territory in Jammu and Kashmir under the illegal occupation of Pakistan in 1963 when both countries signed a “boundary agreement” to settle their border disputes. This laid the foundation for building of Karakorum highway built by China and Pakistan “jointly” in 1970s. The recent opening up of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor of 2015 passing through areas of PoK which is Indian Territory, is the biggest sell out by Pakistan as a price of sustaining the friendship with China.
Altering with the status quo ante of the PoK which is the territory of India , by Pakistan in the above manner, has taken the wind off its sails of the ship carrying its jugular vein of “Kashmir issue”. In fact, it has itself complicated the issue to this extent that it could never have any advantageous position in its hyped stand rather it has further fortified and strengthened India’s stand that Kashmir was an inseparable part of India and that the position of Pakistan was always as an aggressor and invader of the Indian state.
The ghost of Kashmir has been haunting Pakistan since its formation and its misdemeanour of 1947 through the disguise of raiders having miserably failed did not stop it using religious card as a means to sensationalise the Kashmir issue by the subterfuge of jihad , the preparations of which were made in 1947 itself but concrete shape was given to it in late 1960s when Pakistani Military found its ally in Jamati Islami which sooner became integral to the Martial Law regimes there. It was planned to contribute to the American sponsored war in Afghanistan in order to prepare the ground for “larger conflict” in Kashmir. The war in Afghanistan was to be used as a smokescreen behind which Pakistan planned a more significant battle. Zia-ul-Haq prepared the blue print of the proxy war against India in Kashmir including keeping borders tense which we are reeling under, for decades together.
The question is as to how long would India tolerate Pakistan’s hostilities along the LoC and even International border? How long would hide and seek of its unprovoked firing on our side and defence patrols continue and keep causing us to suffer damages in terms of martyrdom of our soldiers and dislocation, including damage to life and property suffered by border dwellers ? Since the basic problem with that country is its daydreaming of annexing Kashmir, it keeps on sending indoctrinated and armed mercenaries to this side and provides to them firing cover and hence the chief reason of the skirmishes along the border. The recent incidents in Poonch, Rajouri and Akhnoor areas is an indicator which resulted in the martyrdom of three of our brave hearts including a porter.
Having understood that it could never get Kashmir through wars but perhaps through terrorism and widening and deepening its sway across the state especially the valley, that it could ever succeed in its design would be described even by a novice in politics as a wishful thinking and futile but a self destructive exercise. Can a lasting solution be found to treat the recurring fits of epilepsies of hostilities of Pakistan on a permanent basis as ‘enough is now much enough’.
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