Shadow

Creating Shadow of War

After having failed to garner support for its campaign against India on Kashmir, Pakistan is trying to create a shadow of war in the Indian subcontinent. There are reports of Pakistan Army mobilizing some 2000 troops along the Line of Control in the Pak-occupied-Kashmir. The Indian Army has confirmed this report.

Although, there is little chance of yet another Indo-Pak war, one should remember the fact that there is dearth of ‘saner’ elements in the Army establishment of Pakistan. The knee jerk reaction of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan immediately after India’s decision to revoke Article 370 of the Constitution ending special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, threatening India with ‘conventional war’ and reminding India and the world community of consequences of war between two nuclear nations speak of bad intention of Pakistan Government and its Army.

It is being said that movement of troops by Pakistan along the LoC is defensive in nature in view of the escalating tension between the two countries. But the real intent of Pakistan Army is to create a situation to bring India on the brink of war with Pakistan. It is not the civilian government headed by Imran Khan which is calling the shots in Islamabad. Rather, it is the Army headed by Qamar Javed Bajwa who is running the show taking all decisions related to India. That the Army dominates the government was clear when Prime Minister Imran Khan gave 3 year service extension to the Army Chief Gen Bajwa who was to retire.

In recent days differences cropped within Pakistan between the Army and the Imran Khan government. After having threatened India with possibility of a nuclear war, Imran Khan retracted his stand when he made a statement the other day that Pakistan adheres to its Nuclear policy of ‘no first use’ of nuclear weapons against any country (read India). Within days after Imran Khan’s statement the Pakistan Army contradicted its Prime Minister’s statement saying that “We don’t have any ‘no first use’ policy. Our weapons are for deterrence. As far as India is concerned, it is up to them to formulate any policy.”

Pakistan earlier had said that there are gross human rights violations in Kashmir and that there was ‘genocide’ of Kashmiris after the clampdown in the Jammu & Kashmir. But despite its false propaganda Pakistan or for that matter other elements hostile to India have not found any trace of killings of Kashmiris after August 5. As a result of which Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that Pakistan was ready for dialogue with India on Kashmir. There is lack of coordination and coherence in Pakistan administration today. The country is confused and scratching its head as to ‘what to do’ with India.

But its Army and the notorious ISI (Inter Services Intelligence) is not confused it is busy preparing a blue print to deal with India post August 5 development.

The ISI has mobilized ‘fidayeen’ (suicide) contingent of terrorists in the PoK and is trying to push them into across the border in Jammu & Kashmir. It has plans to strike heavy damage to installations and inflict casualties in India to show to the world that it will not take lying down the development in Jammu & Kashmir. It was not out of blue that Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has spoken of ‘more Pulwama like attacks’ in Jammu & Kashmir following India’s decision on Kashmir. Khan was telling what his Army asked him to say. The plan is to make large scale terrorist attack in and outside Jammu & Kashmir on the Indian soil.

The design is to provoke India. Pakistan knows it well after India’s retaliation in Balkot following Pulwama attack that India will not sit idle when inflicted heavy damage and casualties by Pakistan sponsored terrorists. The Army in Pakistan expects India to retaliate militarily. This action of India if any will give Pakistan a propaganda material to blame India as aggressor to justify military conflict in the India subcontinent. Pakistani authorities are not bothered to look back at the history of military confrontation with India. Pakistan has always faced defeat at the hands of India in the past. But such defeats don’t matter when Islamabad is hell bent upon creating a shadow of war in the region.

It will be interesting to watch the performance of Pakistan at the United Nations General Assembly meeting later this month. Imran Khan will represent his country at the UN meet while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will stand firm on Kashmir issue at the world body meet. Pakistan Foreign Minister Qureshi recently has said, “India has violated the Simla agreement and the “unilateral” steps in Kashmir were in total breach of the UN Security Council resolutions.”Under the Simla agreement, both Pakistan and India are bound to bilaterally resolve Kashmir dispute. Modi should tell the international community whether his 5th August’s measures are bilateral or unilateral”, he said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have made it clear to Pakistan and to the world leaders that Kashmir is an internal matter of India and no country including Pakistan has any business to interfere in “our internal matters”. Pakistan please make note of it.

R K SINHA

(The writer is a Member of Rajya Sabha)

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