By Samuel Baid
The emotion of love and hate that marked India-Pakistan relations in the past did not allow the stalemate between the two neighbors to persist without an end. But Pakistan’s political leadership that replaced seasoned leaders in 2018 did not show any sensitivity about relations with neighbors. In fact, they did not show adequate interest in the four provinces of own Pakistan- then what to talk of the region. For example, when former Prime Minister Imran Khan talked of Pakistan, he mainly confined himself to Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KPK). Sindh and Baluchistan did not seem to be existing for him.
On the other hand, India is adamant that it will talk to Pakistan only if it drops its policy of using terrorism as an instrument of foreign policy. Pakistan cannot do that. India has experienced that all peace efforts have been sabotaged by the terrorist activities against it or by dismissal of pro-normalization leaders. Cash-strapped Pakistan has been producing lakhs of terrorists every year. Their utility is only to the Army by keeping India disturbed. Former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif admitted in February 2023 that terrorists roam around in Pakistan. Those who breed the army of terrorists do not seem to understand how this always begging country can afford to support an army of unproductive people.
Shehbaz admitted the presence of terrorists in his country but tries to deny that they enjoy official patronage or they had safe havens in Pakistan or that they were settled on any tract of Pakistan. He said they had not been able to settle in any part of the country. Going by Shehbaz’s claim, it looks Pakistani terrorists are like ghosts who roam around everywhere but the government does not know where they park themselves. However, the people know where the establishment provides them safe houses in the four provinces.
The fact is that the just gone government of Shehbaz Sharif as also of his predecessor Imran Khan were beholden to the Army for the PM post. Both of them were new to this post, but they knew no PM can exist in Pakistan if she or he tries to normalize relations with India.
Imran was ousted from power not because he made overtures to India, but because of his tiff with the Army Chief Gen. Javed Bajwa. As for relations with India, he had blocked chances of normalization by pre-conditioning them to the restoration of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution which gave Kashmiris a special status in India. Imran had miserably failed in the United Nations General Assembly to condemn abrogation of Article 370. He spoke for longer than the time allotted to him and exposed his immaturity in diplomacy. Muslim countries did not support him. In fact, India and Muslim countries’ relations became cordial as never before. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi was warmly welcomed in all the Muslim countries he visited in the past two years, i.e. after Imran’s UNGA speech.
The erstwhile Shehbaz Sharif government was hesitant to talk about relations with India. Shehbaz fears the Army’s displeasure and Imran’s reaction just when the general elections are near. However, he made a neither-here-nor-there statement. In January this year, he told Dubai-based news channel ‘Al Arabiya’ that three wars between India and Pakistan only brought more misery, poverty and unemployment to the people. He said a dialogue between India Pakistan would have no meaning without taking up contentious topics. That was an obvious reference to Kashmir. And that means as Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto said, restoration of Article 370.
At the inaugural session of the Pakistan Minerals Summit in Islamabad early this month (August) Shahbaz stated that it was equally important that our neighbor (India) understood that we cannot become normal neighbors unless abnormalities are removed and until our serious issues are addressed through peaceful and meaningful discussions.
It is notable here that Shehbaz is emphasizing on Kashmir for peace but he is completely ignoring India’s complaint about Pakistani terrorist activities against it.
One uncharitable truth about Pakistan that we should keep in mind is that terrorism if it does not target the Pakistani Army is no terrorism. A Pakistani terrorist is produced not by economic or national forces but by distortion of religious teachings. Thus a terrorist who targets India is made to believe that he is fighting a jihad. That is why there is no punishment for him. Those terrorist who attack India live in safe houses in Pakistan under the protection of the Army. Was Shehbaz joking when he said India should understand “our serious issue.”
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Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinion of the author.
