The recent bold references to human rights violation
perpetrated by Pakistan in Gilgit- Baltistan and Balochistan by Prime Minister
Modi at the All Party Meeting and in his Independence Day address from ramparts
of Red Fort marks a sudden shift in India’s stratagem towards Pakistan. Modi’s
remarks are viewed as a tactical retort to Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul
Basit’s complacent statement that Pakistan is dedicating its Independence Day
to Kashmir’s freedom. India’s Balochistan outreach can be traced back to Ajit
Doval’s stern warning to Pakistan “you do one more Mumbai, you lose
Balochistan”. The temerity of Doval’s doctrine gradually made way to Modi’s
Pakistani outreach which included a sudden stopover to Lahore to wish Prime Minister
Sharif on his birthday. While Pathankot attacks unhallowed India’s hopes of
peace with the neighbor, turbulence in Kashmiri Valley reflected Pakistan’s
agenda of bleeding India with thousand cuts. Latest reference to Balochistan
witnesses emergence of Modi-Doval Doctrine
marking an end to India’s hesitation to raise the issue of Balochistan
when dealing with Pakistan. A sharp overview of the string of events that
unfurled in the region in the past fortnight may help in appreciating the need
for sudden shift in Indian strategy.
The quick turn of Pakistan-instigated events in the past five
weeks has virtually pushed Kashmir Valley into chaos. Insidious perpetration of
violence by Pakistan in the valley is now established beyond an iota of doubt. 22
year-old, Bahadur Ali, alias Saifuddin LeT who was captured in the North
Kashmir by Indian security forces strengthened India’s suspicions. During the
interrogations by National Intelligence Agency (NIA) he admitted to have worked
for Jamat-Ud-Dawaa (JuD) headed by Hafeez Saeed from an age of 14. He was
radicalized and motivated to join Jihadi movement after watching the videos of
Kashmiri separatist Asiya Andrabi, head of all-female group of
Dukhtaran-e-Millat and other anti-India propagandists. Later he was trained and
armed by the LeT (Laskhar-e-Taiba) under the aegis of Pakistan Military. For
the past two years, he was working for Falah-e-Insaniyat (FIF), an NGO of LeT controlled
by Hafiz Khaled Waheed, son-in-law of Hafeez Saeed. He revealed that a batch of
three LeT terrorists, including him were pushed into Indian side around July
11-12 to foment terror. He said that when he got separated from others, he was
scared and called LeT command centre PoK-3 headed by Khalid Waheed, who chided
him to carry his orders. Ali’s confessions has added heft to India’s assertions
of Pakistan’s role in Kashmir valley.
Pakistan’s Denial
Following the confessions of Bahadur Ali, India summoned
Pakistan high commissioner Abdul Basit for promoting unabated infiltration of
militants across the border and issued a demarche. As expected Pakistan
immediately denied all the allegations. It claimed to have strictly adhered to
the precincts of not allowing use of its territories for militant activities.
Till now, India has submitted numerous dossiers but unfortunately nothing has
ever changed. Indeed submission of
dossiers to Pakistani counterparts is rather churlish as Islamabad refuses to
take any action under the ruse of insufficient evidence. In the latest move,
India has allowed consular access to Bahadur Ali, made demarche public and
allowed airing of confession of captured terrorist. Still Pakistan continues to
feign ignorance and remains in denial mode.
Overview of terror
outfits
Though sanctions were imposed on various militant outfits
that emanated from Pakistan’s deep state, international sanctions seems to have
lost relevance over a period of time. Pakistan defied all international dictums.
By cleverly changing the semantics of various outfits Pakistan is evading
censure from international bodies. Primal militant organization, LeT was formed
in 1990 with headquarters at Murdike, 30 km from Lahore. Funds from Saudi
Arabia and assistance from ISI kept it afloat whereby it launched an armed
struggle in Kashmir. After the attacks on Indian Parliament in 2001, LeT was
banned. Later LeT’s co-founder Hafeez Saeed formed JuD. JuD has funds worth 400
crores of which, nearly half of them are obtained from illegal narcotic and
arms smuggling. Besides, donations and assistance packages from Pakistan
government keeps its coffers overflowing. JuD masterminded 26/11 Mumbai Attacks.
Following an international outcry UN imposed financial sanctions and Pakistan
was forced to ban JuD. Subsequently JuD began carrying out its nefarious
activities under the banner of NGO FIF, a humanitarian relief and charitable
organization.
Reports indicate that in 2010 militant outfits under the
banner of FIF, delivered relief supplies to flood-affected people in POK and
simultaneously expedited the process of radicalization & anti-India
propaganda. Recently, acting on a tip-off, US designated FIF as foreign
terrorist organization. Further, Saudi Arabia authorities while unearthing the
links to attacks in Medina traced its origins to radicalization activities of
FIF. Under the garb of charity, the militants are now trying to woo
Kashmiris by dispatching food and relief supplies to the valley through FIF. The
duplicity of Pakistan is glaringly repulsive.
India has refused Pakistan’s offer of supplies and India’s
response can be summed up in the following clips:
The extent of Pakistan’s jingoistic rhetoric on Kashmir is
inconceivable. It started running Azadi train carrying the posters of Burhan
Wani across Pakistan.
Internationalizing
Kashmir Issue
Pakistan rejuvenated interest towards Kashmir issue stems
from various developments in the sub-continent. Counter-terrorism cooperation
has become bedrock of Modi’s foreign policy outreach drawing lot of support from
unexpected corners. India under Modi forged agreements with various nations for
strengthening cooperation in intelligence sharing, monitoring terror outfits
and tracking financial transactions. Modi’s flagrant amiability among Muslim
countries and India’s growing comity among Pakistan’s neighbors has discomfited
Islamabad. Pakistan began to feel the heat. Conjured with fleeting containment
and stoppage of fund flows from US, Pakistan upped ante against India with a
vise-like strangle hold on Kashmir.
Ashok Malik in his article outlined a plausible game play
adopted by Pakistan. Latest global developments have driven Pakistan into
Chinese embrace. To evade questions on the legality of planned China Pakistan
Economic Corridor (CPEC) in the disputed territory of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir
(POK), Pakistan began its campaign at the UN by internationalizing Kashmir
insurgency. He elaborates that the primary purpose of CPEC plan is not about
enhancing the economic opportunities and seeking access to Arabian Sea. But
under the ensign of infrastructure development through CPEC both countries are steadily
installing military bases at strategic locations and integrating the region. To
justify the construction of CPEC in disputed territory, China and Pakistan have
colluded to turn Kashmir into bedlam of terror by stoking passions of
civilians. With India slowly but steadily expressing concerns over latest
developments in POK in bilateral talks with China and other international
interlocutors, the onus of justification of CPEC is mounting. POK issue is
finding a greater mention in international discourses with India raising the
issue at UN General Assembly in 2015, in response to Sharif’s four point
agenda. China’s international reputation which hit a low note for condemning
the verdict of Court of Permanent Arbitration will be subject to more scrutiny
for its involvement in developing military installations in a disputed region.
To subvert the international comeuppance the duo are effectively raking up the
Kashmiri rhetoric.
Previously Pakistan’s vociferous tirade against India was
focused on denial of azadi to Kashmir.
Now it has changed its stance. It no longer plays a second fiddle to voices of azadi but desperately aspires to annex
the Indian part of Kashmir, safely overruling the fact that Kashmir is integral
part of India. By making vicious propaganda about the killings of civilians, it
intends to extend its claims over Indian part of Kashmir. Accentuated
Sino-Pakistan ties emboldened Pakistan. Its bellicosity is reflected in the
strident tenor and brazen public parade of strategic assets on streets of
Islamabad protesting Rajnath Singh’s visit. Adding weight to these voices, Nawaz
Sharif too sharpened attacks on Kashmir Valley turbulence. Declaration of black
day, questioning of human rights violations at UN earlier this month were all
small ploys in the larger scheme. Sharif’s references to Kashmir in a public
speech in PoK hinting at eventual annexation are an outcome of the growing
Pakistan-China nexus in the region. Vicious attacks of separatists against
Indian state, orchestrated public outrage added more heft to this fictitious
strategy.
Violating Indus Water
Treaty
Now, Pakistan besides fanning terror in Kashmir it violating
the Indus Waters treaty and contemplating to institute new arbitration
proceedings against India at Hague. India is perhaps the only Asian country to
have sealed landmark water sharing agreements with lower riparian states-
Pakistan and Bangladesh. Honoring the rather unfavorable arbitrations, India
amicably settled water sharing issues.
Violating the agreement of 1960 of mutually settling the issue, Pakistan
is now seeking intervention of a third party. Pakistan is raising objections to
construction of hydro-electric power projects- Kishenganga and Ratle.
Ironically, Pakistan’s all-weather friend-China a birth place for several rivers
hasn’t signed a single agreement with over 10 countries into which these waters
flow. It is time India stops being overwhelmingly generous and naïve. New Delhi
should now endeavor to garner support of like-minded countries, strengthen it
claims on PoK, draw international attention to human rights violations in PoK
and refer Pakistan’s prevarications to UN Security Council. With Pakistan going all guns blazing to keep
the valley boiling, Indian Parliament engaged in debate on Kashmir unanimously
passed a resolution “appealing to the people of Kashmir Valley to restore peace
and harmony”. Instead of raising tirade against Pakistan Indian political
parties displayed abominable naivety by persisting on going ahead with dialogue
process.
For the past seven decades, being a larger partner, India was
considerate and offered several concessions to Pakistan (Shimla Agreement and
Lahore Agreement). Smitten by acerbic animosity Pakistan always denigrated
Indian disposition. Intriguingly so, Indian politicians too refused to learn
lessons and diligently worked to engage with Pakistan and other stake holders
controlled by Pakistan to discuss Kashmir issue. (While engagement with
stakeholders is highly recommended for comprehensive integration, India failed
to identify relevant stakeholders).Till now Pakistan has been raising Kashmir
issue at every possible international forum even as the POK region has been
silently bearing the brunt of Pakistani atrocities. India’s continued silence,
muted response and uncharacteristic detachment from POK might be
counterintuitive. Soon all narratives on massive human right violations carried
out by Pakistan in POK will disappear from international discourse. While
Rajnath Singh’s assurance in the Parliament that no talks will be held on
Kashmir but only on POK is reassuring, India must strictly adhere to this new
dictum. If India fails to raise from its seventy year old defensive enigma of fixing
and resolving the Kashmir issue India forever will be mired in the stumbling
block. Moreover with China indirectly aiding, supporting and goading Pakistan’s
brutal cross-border terrorism India must now assert its claims over the entire
province of Jammu and Kashmir. Else Pakistan’s iniquitous plans might contend
that POK is not a disputed territory but its legitimate territory and that
India illegally occupied Kashmir.
@ Copyrights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment