Along comes Ghulam Nabi Fai, a US citizen of Kashmiri descent, who pleaded guilty to taking money from the ISI to lobby for the cause of Kashmiri independence. As an American citizen, Fai is legally obliged to disclose his sources of foreign funding and, in failing to do so, he is now going to serve jail time. It is easy to work up moral outrage about secretly trying to influence the US political process, but the fact is that what Fai and the ISI did is practiced by every country of the world. The biggest mistake Fai and his handlers made was that they got caught. As the premier spy agency in the country, it is appropriate that the ISI was responsible for paying and guiding Fai. The problem arises in the fact that the ISI is a part of the military. When such schemes are cooked by the CIA, for example, they end up reporting to the president, not the Pentagon or the US military chief. Putting our Kashmir policy under military control has not achieved much tangibly.
The outing of Fai as being in the pay of the ISI should provide our elected representatives and parliament with the opportunity to now rightfully assume control of a policy they should have been directing from the very start. Our lobbying efforts, both legal and extralegal, should be devised and coordinated by the elected government, not an unaccountable military. The ISI should merely be the vessel for carrying out government policy; it should not be formulating the policy itself.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 9th, 2011.
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Dr Fai is a hero. He did it for Islam and Pakistan.
@Jack: @Chander: "Actually Pakistan did not loss any territory; out of Pakistan a new country was born." So, let Bulochistan go. You will not lose any territory; another happy new nation will be born. @Dr Kadar Khan FRCS. FACS: "...Kashmiris are proud people. They do not want to be identified as Paks or Indians. " Which Kashmiris are you talking about: the original Kashmiris, the Kashmiri Pundits who are also a very proud people or Kashmiri Muslims? Former identify themselves as staunchly Indian, some section of the latter may not do so. As far as "Kashmiriyat" is concerned, that had any meaning as long as Pundits lived there. Now that they have been purged out, thanks to the goons sent by Pakistan to create havoc in the state which had remained entirely peaceful for 42 years, "Kashmiriyat" is dead and buried! For the rest, I am in full agreement with you. @Khan: "Yet, I am convinced that there is NO military solution of Kashmir. " The only permanent solution to Kashmir is hand-over of that part of it which is now illegally occupied by Pakistan. I agree, it should be done without resort to military means. In the meanwhile, Pakistan should restore status quo ante by asking China to hand over those parts which it now occupies, courtesy Pakistan.
@Dr Kadar Khan FRCS. FACS
A refreshingly sensible and honest opinion.
So India , Pakistan ( East and West ) came into being in 1947. Kashmir at that point was neither part of India nor Pakistan. Since then, India has got majority of Kashmir. Sikkim has joined India. Pakistan lost 1/2 the country in 1971. Pak also lost Kargil in 1971 ( even though India returned 12,000 km of other territories it had captured ).
Yes Chander, you are very right. Pakistan is winning here , just as Pakistan army is the best , and hopefully in anathor 25-30 years that victory will be complete, maybe sooner.
“One of the biggest complaints about Pakistan’s Kashmir policy is that it has failed in the public relations war.” O really !! you got to see this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBcPkbtqSbQ
Yet, I am convinced that there is NO military solution of Kashmir.
@Karl Marx: "If the ISI can sponsor kashmiri struggle to such an extent that a massive 700,000 Indian army is required to subdue it then kudos to the ISI."
Well it is now openly acknowledged that the Pak army pushed tens of thousands of fighters into indian Kashmir after Afghan jihad ended. This led to a bug spike in kilings. Once army came in, gradually the matters have been brought under control. And the army had 500,000 people there at peak. The numbers are much lower now though obviously the army does not publish exact numbers.
Anyway just as Pak claims that there are 5000 TTP people and yet 140000 Pak soldiers are not able to control them - it's the same thing with people that can melt into civilians.
@Chander: I agree that not having direct access to Afghanistan is a significant complication for India. However, passage through GB is also no joke - the terrain is not suited for goods transportation/ trade. On the other hand, the other point you make is fatuous in the extreme. By that notion, Palestinians did not lose any territory either, Israel was 'born' out of it. Also by the same notion, India does not lose territory if Kashmir declares independence - yet another 'new' country appears on the map. What have you been smoking?
What a marvellous piece of unbiased writing... "...thanks to our military's flawed policy..."
Freedom fighters are not highly paid mercenaries by foreign powers in dollars for high standard of living. No wonder these freedom fighters did not achieve anything in over six decades. Let us spend Pakistani taxpayer’s money for poor Pakistanis.
If there is anyone who has been hurt, it is the Kasmiris. If there is any movement that has been pushed back, it is Kasmiris' independence movement. It is time for Pakistan to wake up and question the extra legal and extra-constitutional role of its military. It is time to call a spade a spade.
Actually Pakistan did not loss any territory; out of Pakistan a new country was born. It is India which has lost territory. By capturing Gilgit-Baltistan from India in 1948 Pakistan has not only gained new territory it also insured the historical link between India and Afghanistan is cut off.
"One of the biggest complaints about Pakistan’s Kashmir policy is that it has failed in the public relations war." It is not the public relations war in which Pakistan failed. It is the terrorism spawned by it could not be camouflaged irrespective of the words and deeds you do to cover it. I think Pakistan should look after its citizens interest first.
The expensive spectacles that Mr Fai is wearing are most likely paid for by Pakistani tax-payor, from among the disclosed atleast 3 million dollars that Mr Fai received from Pak army/isi.
It is easy to work up moral outrage about secretly trying to influence the US political process, but the fact is that what Fai and the ISI did is practiced by every country of the world.
This editorial misses a point -- when other countries lobby US politicians, they declare their affiliation. Fai and ISI have been caught lying -- not for peddling influence. But then the lies are no suprise to anyone -- they are now just nicely documented in the legal system. You are right in that the Kashmiri struggle is now permanently tainted by the terrorism and militancy policy which the military and ISI have followed. But then there wouldn't be much violence in Kashmir if it weren't for this policy support -- and there wouldn't be anything to make the news or justify the struggle. But the world attention is now shifting to Balochistan, a genuine people's struggle for freedom.
@Dr. Tanwir Ahmad......that would be too good to be true doctor sahab. If the ISI can sponsor kashmiri struggle to such an extent that a massive 700,000 Indian army is required to subdue it then kudos to the ISI.
it is appropriate that the ISI was responsible for paying and guiding Fai.
It is also appropriate that the ISI is/was responsible for paying and guiding KASHMIRI FREEDOM FIGHTER of yester years (now termed as Terrorist) ?
How long before Pakistani STOP fomenting trouble in Kashmir and start working on its own Land for betterment of its own people??
Kashmir Mirage cost Pakistan Half of the country ,Economy is tanking ,Social structure is collapsing,country reputation among Commity of the Nations at the bottom of the pit,
And Still Kashmir is the Main issue for Pakistani. Can't believe it ,That a country can be so OBSESSED with one unimportant issue that they can lost everything including on the verge of loosing country ,Sanity and of course now Ghariat. It is no wonder ,we called it Pakistan.
This confirms the notion that all Pro Kashmiri independence demonstrations and street moves in Europe,UK,US and other parts of the world are not sponsored by Kashmiris but by ISI without the knowledge of our civilian govt or FO.
Well said.