Multiple challenges and need for unity and wisdom

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and DG ISPR, in their recent press conference, laid bare facts and figures of the viscous and all-arching Indian designs to destabilise and weaken Pakistan. It is not that India has ever showed any laxity in its designs to subvert Pakistan but for the last two years the intensity and frequency has increased manifold.

The primary object of the Foreign Office and military leadership was to convey to every major capital of the world to take notice of this dangerous development. It is not that the international community and especially the P-5 are not aware of India’s extremist agenda, its persecution of minorities, brutal suppression of Kashmiri Muslims, and hostile agenda against Pakistan but are turning a blind eye due to sheer expediency.

The Indian designs are targeting Pakistan’s economic interests as well. They are patronising TTP, Jamaatul Ahrar and Daesh by providing them sanctuary and funding. In this way expecting the Pakistani military to get embroiled in fighting terrorist organisations and dissipating its efforts. Through these policies they expect to weaken the country’s defence and economy.

Certain elements in the Afghan government in collusion with India are providing space to RAW operatives to plan and execute operations from their territory. In fact, India has set up an elaborate network of spies and saboteurs in Afghanistan, and in other neighbouring countries, which the FM and DG with incontrovertible evidence portrayed to the world.

What the world should take notice of is that Indian designs and activities are in sharp contrast to Pakistan’s sincere efforts at drawing India into a serious dialogue to address the underlying issues and facilitating the peace process. This is the heart of the problem. Modi is determined to roughshod the Kashmiri Muslim population through its inhuman policies and fully integrate the state in the Union. While simultaneously he has launched a campaign of false accusations to cover its misdeeds and feels confident that the international community will look the other way as is the situation at present. This assumption of India regrettably seems to be valid as of now. Its strategic role as a counter to China, potential as a huge market coupled with the extreme insensitivity of the West bordering on prejudice toward Muslims in general is a current reality. Whether it is Kashmir, Palestine or the Burmese government, the despicable treatment of Muslims is low on the global agenda. Even the major Muslim countries apart from a few exceptions are as indifferent to Muslim causes as the West. In essence in a morally bankrupt world it is the narrow commercial and strategic interest of nations that override humanitarian considerations.

More so Pakistan’s economic dependence on major economic powers and multilateral agencies reduces its leverage considerably. It is just not the economic weakness that stands in our way but our internal contradictions are pulling the nation down. The glaring manifestation of these in the unending war of words between the party in power and the opposition is apparent to the world. It is truly baffling that the political leadership and specially the Prime Minister is not seeing the urgent need to unify the nation and work within the political framework and essentials of the Constitution. The opposition too has to provide space to the PTI leadership so that it does not have to lean so heavily on the establishment to counter their push.

Moreover, by using the worn and outmoded narrative of branding the opposition as agents of India, is self-defeating and only gladdening the BJP leadership.

As though these drawbacks were not enough to shy the prospective foreign investors, the frequent appearance of Khadim Hussain Rizvi’s followers on the streets of Islamabad to defend Islam does not go unnoticed by them either. Furthermore, it casts a deep shadow on our pleas to the world to take notice of Indian atrocities. What is the most absurd aspect of this protest is that it punishes the broad masses of the twin cities for no fault of theirs, and reinforces the Western narrative that there are strong elements in Muslim societies that are bordering on extremism. Although this is no excuse for the French extremists to ridicule and hurt the deep sentiments of Muslims worldwide. I hope the world in general and French in particular see objectively the vast contrast in how different has been their social and legal response to the Holocaust in which they have enacted stringent laws to ensure that no one crosses the boundaries and hurts the sentiments of Jews. Fine, we appreciate that but expect uniformity in dealing with other religions as well. For inter-faith harmony the extreme insensitivity of the West bordering on prejudice toward Muslims has to be seriously addressed.

It is also unfortunate that President Trump has been deliberately overlooking India’s inimical policies toward Pakistan. The support Modi’s government has been receiving to build its capabilities to counter China far outweighs all other considerations. This gives it a free reign to coerce and intensify military, diplomatic and economic pressure on Pakistan.

There is a possibility President-elect Joe Biden may not be that oblivious to India’s human rights’ blatant violations in Kashmir and encourage both countries to engage in dialogue. Notwithstanding his desire to maintain a strong strategic relationship with India as that of his predecessors. Moreover, his deep understanding of the region and the dangers inherent in a festering dispute among nuclear armed countries has consequences that the world cannot address lightly. The world powers and especially the United States cannot continue to ignore the real possibility of escalation.

Pakistan’s latest move to aggressively present its case against India’s subversive activities will hopefully touch the conscience of the world.

More importantly, one hopes against hope that the greater good of Pakistan will prevail on our politicians and leaders of institutions. The narrow prism through which they have seen their interests would be replaced by a broader perspective. Otherwise it would be difficult to counter effectively the present alignment of forces pitched against us.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 18^th, 2020.

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