Brij Nath Betab
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has bagged one more insult for his country. However the country now has become so insult proof that it does not matter anymore to them. The manner in which the world powers and leaders not only refused to please China and toe its line yet again, but also rebuked Pakistan by their refusal to discuss Kashmir, should also force China to alter its ambassadorial maneuvering.
Pakistan is so frustrated that its Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Hussein Qureshi, who was on a three nation tour recently, told US secretary of State Mike Pompeo in his meeting that “Pakistan dreams of a peaceful South Asia”, but then in the same breath goes on to express its hidden intent by asking United Nations to “act decisively to prevent a disastrous war with India”. One may relate this to India’s advantage that neither Qureshi nor his Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has been imposed upon the hapless Pakistani society realize that by forwarding such conflicting narratives simultaneously they are not only indirectly strengthening India’s case but also damaging their own cause . Both of them have been threatening the world of a ‘Nuclear catastrophe’. Seldom do they realize that the world today does not want a situation where the humanity would suffer. If Pakistan was politically mature and diplomatically wise, they would have taken a cue from the recent agreement between U S and China that eased the much hyped tension not only between them but for the whole world. The Pakistani duo would have contributed to their own country’s interests if they would have reflected on the ease and improvement in US and North Korea relations, where Kim Jong-Un ultimately had to “have left a room for talks with US”. They should have taken a cue from the intelligent handling of crisis by Iran, who had all the reasons to go all out against the “Qassem Soleimani’s assai-lants”, but showed utmost restraint by firing rockets that inflicted no human loss on Iraq or America. The trend is clearly visible that in today’s world no one is willing to go for a war, despite the huge stockpile of arms of destruction. For Pakistan this war threat and nuclear shout have become so absurd and outdated that no one takes them seriously. And it is here that Pakistan is receiving a “lukewarm response” to its pleas about Kashmir as admitted by Imran Khan himself. Pakistan does not realize that with their utterances they are also humiliating China who on behest of their country made another ruinous attempt to rake up Kashmir issue at the Security Council. Who does not know that China is doing this to keep Pakistan in good humor for a big clandestine land grab benefit. For China, losing a plea at the international forum more than once shall make Jinping rethink about his country’s diplomatic moves with regard to Pakistan’s fallacy about Kashmir, or else its own image as a Security Council member would be at stake. And if Pakistan still has some self esteem, the recent diplomatic trouncing should make them rethink about the country’s anti-India stance and if Imran Khan is serious about making his country ‘Naya'( new), he should immediately call experts and draft a new foreign policy particularly with respect to India and in general the entire region. He should deliberate on why international community is not accepting Pakistan’s plea with regard to Kashmir. He is not correct in his conclusion that the world leader’s ‘lukewarm attitude’ towards his plea is due to the population size of India and the world has its economic interests laid in this huge consumer block. The size of India’s population and its consumerism may be at best a minor part of the gambit, the fact remains that the world today understands and realizes that India, since its independence, has established herself as a respectful nation in the comity of nations. She has handled its foreign policy in conformity with the human dignity, where mutual trust is the corner stone of relations. India has contributed in making the world a peaceful place for human beings and in international affairs ‘India has expressed herself with wisdom and clarity’.
Apart from all this there is a glaring distinction between India and Pakistan. While Pakistan produces terrorists and exports them to foreign lands and also uses terror as a state policy, India has immensely contributed to the world peace. India, since its first nuclear fusion has declared that she shall never use nuclear deterrent for military purposes. It has been the acknowledged policy of India that her nuclear programme is only for peaceful purposes. Indian policy has stood the test of the time. In sharp contrast Pakistan has been threatening the whole world with its borrowed nuclear capability. All these threats of nuclear catastrophe have made world mistrustful of Pakistan’s intent. And these are some of the basic facts that every Pakistani leader has ignored. Instead they, like Imran Khan, wrongly contribute India’s triumphs to its market size.
Kashmir has become a psychological problem for Pakistan. Ever since the partition, Pakistan has made Kashmir its focal point and has tried all sorts of tricks, it could think of, to grab the land. The destruction that Pakistan has brought to Kashmir is self explanatory about its intentions. Psychologists believe that when somebody is constantly losing, he is bound to think irrationally and take wrong decisions. This is what has happened to Pakistan and every time Pakistan is slapped in the face, it tries some more nasty method. Keeping the borders live is one such ill conceived strategy and roping in China is the other major folly that ultimately China shall realize and effect a back track. After all how long China is going to repeat the same thing and that too on behalf of another country.
There is one more diplomatic angle to this. India has been pleading in favour of expansion of the United Nations Security Council and many countries have come in favor of India to be included in the world body. China has to keep this in mind. Whenever this happens, China as a senior member of the Council shall have to work in tandem with other members that would include India.
If Pakistan and its present Prime Minister had any semblance of shame left, they would not be doing what they are doing on Control Line and International border with Jammu and Kashmir. They should have long back realised that for them it is futile to keep the borders live. It is they who have to arrange for coffins for their cronies. It is they who have to conceal the quantum of death and destruction that they suffer during surgical strikes and other actions by the brave Indian forces.
Pakistan should also realize its capacity and capability. They should remember that once upon a time, in 1965, their Prime Minister had declared that they would fight India for a thousand year. History is witness that not even seven years had gone by when their ninety thousand troops surrendered before Indian might. What comes to my mind is whether that particular Prime Minister was actually conveying that Pakistan needed to fight India for a thousand years to win? If so then truly last seventy years are testimony to Pakistan’s defeat and debacle. This war cry was made at the United Nations Security Council by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. The same Bhutto was forced by his troop’s large scale surrender to sign ‘A peace treaty’ with India called the Simla Agreement. Imran Khan needs to study the circumstances that lead to signing this agreement. He needs to study the contents of this document. May be better sense prevails upon him and he accepts the counsel of the Russian envoy Dmitry Polyanski to ‘focus on the 1972 Simla Agreement and the 1999 Lahore Declaration’. It would be prudent on Pakistan’s part to accept the writing on the wall that fourteen members of the Security Council have categorically told them that Kashmir is a bilateral issue.
It is evident that Pakistan will face backlash against accepting the reality because they have unwisely made Kashmir their political strength and Army’s power point. It may be difficult for the political leadership to accept these agreements, but they should realise themselves and also make their people accept that these agreements have the seal of international acceptability. India has time again made its policy clear that unless Pakistan stops exporting terrorism, India is not going to talk. Pakistan has to ponder over its strength to evaluate if it can continue its hostility against India for a thousand years. ? With Security Council members refusing to take up Kashmir for a closed door discussion once again, Pakistan should open its eyes and read the writing on the wall. Its leaders should in particular analyse and understand the statements by France, Russia, Germany and UK. They should realise that Peace has no alternative as Mikhail S. Gorbachev once wrote.
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