Armed forces flex muscles to show of power & political forces clash verbally daily.
The prevailing turmoil and gross violations of human rights in Indian Occupied Kashmir have fielded both Pakistani and Indian democratic and armed forces in front of each other. In the backdrop of melodrama of fake attack on Battalion Headquarters in Uri, Indian media and political leaders created hype against Pakistan. Armed forces were placed on high alert on territorial fronts while political leadership clashed at the diplomatic and international front; the71st Session of the UN General Assembly UNGA).
This was all done to divert attention of the international community from the grave human rights and UN resolutions’ violations in Indian Held Kashmir by Indian forces ahead of 71st UNGA Session. Indians military and intelligence leadership is habitual of staging such a melodramatic performance ahead of almost every significant diplomatic or development in the region or international level. Incidents including killing of 35 Sikhs ahead of Bill Clinton’s visit to South Asia, Gurdaspur Base attack ahead of Barrack Obama visit to South Asia and several others were later proved had been carried out by Indian security forces.
In a bid to divert world’s attention over Uri fake attack, Indian leadership posed naked threats to Pakistan as the Director General Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen Ranbir Singh said, ‘We reserve the right to respond at the time and place of our choosing. We have the desired capability to respond to such blatant acts of aggression and violence as deemed appropriate by us. On the other hand, Pakistani Corps Commanders’ Conference also announced to respond in the same coins to defend the motherland. Director General ISPR Lieutenant General Asim Saleem Bajwa said that armed forces were keeping a vigilant eye on every movement on eastern borders and forces were fully prepared for averting any unpleasant situation.
Indian Air Force (IAF) placed 18 airbases and other installations along the western front on high alter to hold the defence exercise. It was announced that the primary objective of the exercise is to improve operational preparedness and air defence. IAF’s premier operational command along the western front has gone on a high alert with a major exercise across all its 18 airbases and other installations from Srinagar to Bikaner, which comes amid heightened tensions with Pakistan in the aftermath of the terror attack on the Army camp in Uri.
Earlier, under the serious threats of possible attack from the hostile Indian side, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) also carried out routine “High Mark” exercise involving landing of F-16 aircrafts on motorway near Lahore. “High Mark” was the Pakistan Air Force’s largest and most comprehensive exercise and is held about every five years. The last exercise lasted for 40 days and covered air defenses across the entire country. Recently it has included army and naval units. JF-17s, F-16s, F-7s and Mirage aircrafts are featuring in the drill, which according to officials, has no connection with recent Pak-India tension that rose following militant attack on Indian forces in Occupied Kashmir.
Same was the attitude of Indian civilian leadership which spared no room for alleging Pakistan for being involved in Uri attack. Pakistani High Commissioner to New Delhi Abdul Basit was summoned to Indian Foreign Office twice only to harass him; however, the valour Basit shred every kind of pressure. Indian Foreign Office also handed evidences Pakistani involvement in Uri attack to Basit. However, he rejected the provided evidences and asked Indian officials to avoid leveling allegations on Pakistan for every mishap in India.
Feeling heat from Pakistan, Indian leadership changed options for taking revenge from Pakistan. In the beginning, Indian leadership threatened open military attack, then surgical strike, later using isolating Pakistan internationally through diplomatic offensive and lastly, renewal of Indus Water Treaty as well as blocking water flow towards Pakistan. However, Advisor to prime minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said that Indian act of blocking water flow towards Pakistan would be taken as an act of war against Pakistan. He said that Indian act would set a new precedent at regional level and then no one would be able to stop China from stopping water flowing towards India.
On the other side, Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif handed over a dossier of Indian involvement in terrorism in Pakistan as well as containing detailed information and evidence of the gross and systematic violations of human rights committed by Indian forces in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. to the UN Secretary General Ban ki Moon.
While addressing UNGA session, Nawaz Sharif said that Peace and normalization between Pakistan and India couldn’t be achieved without a resolution of the Kashmir dispute. A new generation of Kashmiris has risen spontaneously against India’s illegal occupation –-this indigenous uprising of the Kashmiris has been met, as usual, with brutal repression by India’s occupation force of over half a million soldiers. Over a hundred Kashmiris have been killed, hundreds, including children and infants, blinded by shotgun pellets and over six thousand unarmed civilians injured over the past two months.
These brutalities will not suppress the spirit of the Kashmiris; it will only intensify their anger and fortify their determination to see India end its occupation of Kashmir. From Srinagar to Sopore, the men, women and children come out each day, defying curfew, to demand freedom. Pakistan fully supports the demand of the Kashmiri people for self-determination, as promised to them by several Security Council resolutions.
Their struggle is a legitimate one for liberation from alien occupation. International law and the declarations of the United Nations on Self Determination, give the Kashmiri people the right to struggle for their freedom. Every year, the General Assembly unanimously adopts the resolution, which reaffirms “the right of all peoples to self-determination” and calls on the states concerned to immediately end their occupation and “all acts of repression.
“Pak warns against India offer of asylum to Baloch rebels
In a bold move, the Modi government is all set to grant political asylum to Baloch leaders, who are fighting for Independence from Pakistan. Report stated that the Baloch leaders will be granted political asylum in India within weeks if formally apply for the same. Notably, Days after PM Modi highlighted the Balochistan issue, public broadcaster Prasar Bharati on launched a website and mobile app for All India Radio’s Balochi service to reach out to the people who speak the language across the globe. Separatist Baloch leader Brahumdagh Bugti welcomed New Delji’s move saying, If I ever get a chance to move to India, I will definitely go there for my people. However, Pakistan warned India against offering political asylum to Baloch militants, saying Indian offer would be official sponsorship of terrorism. Dfence Minister Khawaja Asif said that India granting asylum to Bugti would amount to harbouring a terrorist by a state…thus (India) becoming official sponsor of terrorism.”
To this end, steps should be taken by the United Nations to de-militarize Jammu and Kashmir and undertake consultations with India, Pakistan and the true representatives of the Kashmiri people to implement the resolutions of the Security Council. In this context, we welcome the offer of good offices by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. We will also open consultations with members of the Security Council to explore the modalities for implementation of the Security Council resolutions on Kashmir.
Pakistan is committed to the establishment of strategic stability in the region. It neither wants, nor is it engaged in an arms race with India. But we cannot ignore our neighbor’s unprecedented arms buildup and will take whatever measures are necessary to maintain credible deterrence.
Indian propaganda & facts
Indian media propagated that Pakistan has been isolated internationally in result of robust Indian diplomatic offensive but recent development speak the volume of success of said diplomatic offensive. Here’s a recheck of Pakistan’s ‘isolation’.
- Russian forces arrive in Pak to hold joint military drills snubbing India.
- Indonesia offers Pakistan defence equipment
- Iran wants to be a part of CPEC and link Chabahar port with it built on Indian money.
- China says it supports Islamabad’s stance on Kashmir.
- OIC says it supports Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir
- Turkey sending fact finding mission to Kashmir on Pakistan demand.
- Nepal wants to boost bilateral relations with Pakistan.
- The U.S. is happy that the strategic balance of this region is intact, it doesn’t want an India which is uncontainable.
- Iranian warships reach Karachi for joint exercises PASSEX with Pak Navy.
In response, the Indian Minister for External Affairs Shushma Swaraj harped on the old rhetoric saying that Jammu and Kashmir was an integral part of India and would always remain so. On 21st September, the Prime Minister of Pakistan used this podium to make baseless allegations about human rights violations in my country. I can only say that those accusing others of human rights violations would do well to introspect and see what egregious abuses they are perpetrating in their own country. But when confronted with such evidence, Pakistan remains in denial. It persists in the belief that such attacks will enable it to obtain the territory it covets. My firm advice to Pakistan is: abandon this dream.
Erum Akbar
Author is an executive editor of Melange and Secretary Information Center Of Pakistan And International Relations