Shiban Khaibri
On July 16, the bull and cock story narrated by Pakistan in having “shot down” one Indian drone that was “spying on Pakistan” and “violating its air space” reminded us about the early days, say until a few years back, when propaganda mouth piece called as “Azad Kashmir Radio” operating from the Pakistan occupied Kashmir was assigned the duty of spewing venom against India, as much as possible, through its programmes in the form of discussions, dramas, stories and in particular, its news bulletins. Those who might have had the chance of ever lending ears to this propaganda station must refresh their memories about how unprecedented white lies were spoken about Kashmir by this “Radio station” which even could not be put under the categories of concoctions, fantasies, sham, fabrications etc but only termed as diabolical mischievous canards. It was customary for this Pakistan run Radio station to keep airing lies and deceptive accounts of events even when on occasions like a foot ball match played in the valley was “covered” by this Goebbels’ masters of the craft of spinning lies landing at anti India sustained campaign. Many listeners used to burst into laughter, some even showering choicest curses on this Radio station, when lies of unprecedented nature were being aired by it. It did not, however, forget to give a fairly well religious overture to all such imaginary news items, always. And the religious factor, Pakistan has been lavishly employing right from its inception to get its schemes and planning of disruption, deceit and duplicity accomplished. Most of the people listened to this “Aazad Kashmir Radio station” out of curiosity each day to know as to what was the new find from its vast inventory of fictional recipe. It is also a fact and to put records straight that this incessant propaganda, lies and falsehood coupled with propagation of fundamentalist frenzy against India and Indian government did contribute progressively to a larger extent to what we call “alienation” of or sowing the seeds of anti Indian(ism) in a vast section of Kashmiri society and the export of terror to this state, particularly the valley around 1989-90 by Pakistan did easily all the rest. Admittedly, Pakistan succeeded in internationalizing the so called question of Kashmir but could not make any dent in its position in its being an integral part of India.
In the same fashion of spreading lies and unleashing propaganda to cover up its regularly conducted border violations against this country in Jammu and Kashmir , recently in Akhnoor and R.S.Pura sectors, Pakistan claimed that it had shot one Indian drone which had “intruded into its space for spying” which however, embarrassed Pakistan itself seeing that its bizarre drone theory did not “take off “even slightly as India rubbished the charge with convincing proof and evidence claiming that the “debris” of the “shot down drone” was of Chinese make and India did not have in its military inventory any sort of such drones . It later got revealed that somewhere near Bhimber in Pakistani part of Punjab, Pakistani Punjab Highway Police was using this type of drones of Chinese make, known as DJI Phantom, for Highway surveillance and this small machine had run out of its battery and fallen on the ground. This drone, it is learnt, is commercially available, off the shelf for an amount of around Rs.1 lac and comparatively a technologically advanced country like India does not use Chinese made small drones.
It is also reported that the Pakistani ISI has been giving a few of these drones got from China to certain Jihadi Tanzeems in Pakistan to enable them to cross over to this side for executing terror and sabotage activities as it is the avowed policy of Pakistan to harm and to trouble India in whatever way possible, Kashmir being just an alibi. If the interview given to the media some time back by the 1993 Mumbai blasts accused, now a condemned prisoner, Yaqoob Menon is recalled, he was frank enough in admitting that,”Pakistan wants always to create trouble in India”. He gives an account of how Pakistani officers, as if on official duty, actively helped in executing Mumbai blasts and how he and others were taken care of at airports, hotels, and other places in Pakistan, Bangkok and other destinations , all expenses borne, passports managed and facilities provided by Pakistan. In the interview, he even named those Pakistani officers. Though the mastermind of these blasts in 1993 at the behest of Pakistan was Dawood Ibrahim, yet Yaqoob Menon’s involvement in the explosives management across Mumbai in 1993 has been established. The blasts had killed 257 and wounded more than 700, many of them seriously besides causing damage to property in hundreds of crores of Rupees. It is astonishing to note that Yaqoob is an educated professional, a Chartered Accountant who even earning fairly enough, was roped in to execute terror activities, as we saw in late 80s and early 90s, hundreds of young people from the valley falling into the chicanery trap of armed terrorism laced with hard core fundamentalism by Pakistan. The continued policy of hostility and terror against us by Pakistani establishment has made India resilient enough while ostensibly Pakistan seems to be on the brink of confusion, instability and economic collapse.
India took the initiative yet again to extend the hand of amity and cooperation with Pakistan recently at Ufa Russia where it was “agreed that the two countries have a collective responsibility to ensure peace and promote development and to discuss all the outstanding issues …..” Meeting between two NSAs, meeting between BSF and Pakistani Rangers, releasing of fishermen etc but most importantly, “to discuss ways and means to expedite the Mumbai attack case trial including additional information like providing voice samples…” Whenever any attempt to bring about any thaw in mutual relations, elements in Pakistan inimical to peace with India, mainly the Pakistan army, create trouble on borders, pound our villages and attack civilian population. Likewise on many occasions when any foreign dignitary visits this country, border violations are resorted to by Pakistan to attract attention. The same was done within three days of the agreement signed at Ufa , firstly raking up Kashmir as Sartaj Aziz of Pakistan stated ,”No bilateral dialogue unless Kashmir is on the main agenda”. Likewise in the case of voice samples of the mastermind of Mumbai attack, Sartaj said,” It will take some time as Pakistan needed more information and evidence from India….” India on the other hand, is both worried and surprised over virtual no progress to the extent of nonexistent trial in the case. Lakhvi , it may be recalled has walked free from the jail as the Pakistan government failed to provide necessary evidence in the court , all willfully though more than adequate information and evidence has been provided by India.
We have to note that Pakistan is not a normal state or behaving as one, at least with us and niceties of neighbourliness have not dawned on her. Those who in our state, whether in Government or in opposition, are advocating ” continuous dialogue and CBMs with Pakistan” must look into its track record right from Qabayli raid of 1947 till date. Pakistan’s obsession about Kashmir is “not negotiable” for them as they feel Kashmir to be their jugular vein. Any agreement or accord signed today is nullified tomorrow by them as in Ufa agreement where a U-turn within hours coupled by cease fire violations on the LoC, 4 attacks in 24 hours, and the drone drama made, shows that country’s real face. Agreements, accords, dialogues, understandings and the like need sustained inviolability which Pakistan is highly deficient in.
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