Abdul Raoof Khan
HAVING been pushed to wall by dauntless people of Occupied Kashmir, who are not willing to accept anything short of right of self-determination i.e. liberation from Indian repressive rule, New Delhi turned down Pakistan’s offer of talks on lingering Kashmir issue, solution to which is key for smooth advancement of the region on way to peace, progress and prosperity. In reply to letter written by Pakistan Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry inviting India to hold exclusive talks on Kashmir dispute, Indian External Affairs Secretary, S J Shankar said India will only hold talks with Pakistan on terrorism and ‘infiltration.’ The recent stance by the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon that Pakistan and India should settle Kashmir issue negates Delhi’s stance that Kashmir is its integral part and internal affair.
The UN Chief said he stands ready to offer his good offices, should it be requested by both sides, to facilitate dialogue in order to achieve a negotiated settlement. He said, “The United Nations remains convinced that it is only through dialogue that the outstanding issues between Pakistan and India, including on Kashmir, can be addressed.†The word ‘outstanding’ used by the Secretary General is a soft reminder to India that Kashmir is a dispute that has yet to be settled. However, India continues to brazenly flout the UN resolutions, which also recognize Pakistan as a legitimate party to the Kashmir dispute.
Spurt in liberation struggle in Occupied Kashmir has stunned India and Prime Minister, Narendra Modi is now trying to create hype against Pakistan leveling baseless allegations that it is backing terrorists with a view to divert world attention from repression in Kashmir. Fearing that India’s ugly face may be exposed before world community, Narendra Modi also used the forum of G-20 to malign Pakistan. Hue and cry made by India in joint statement issued on conclusion of visit by the Afghan President, Ashraf Ghani is also part of this Indian game plan. Pakistan should take notice of Indian mantra of terrorism and while raising voice for the struggling people of Kashmir, it should draw world attention to ground realities and apprise it who is backing, financing, and providing safe havens to the terrorists in region and who has been offering sacrifices and suffering huge losses in war on terror. The Foreign Office taking exception to Narendra Modi’s allegations at two recent summits, has reminded him that his country is, in fact exporting terrorism, and not Pakistan.
India, in fact, runs with the hare and hunts with the hounds. Arrest of RAW officer Kulbhushan Yadav in Balochistan and his confession is incontrovertible evidence of the Indian involvement in terrorism in Pakistan. Now Indian plan to grant political asylum to Baloch dissident Brahmdagh Bugti proves it beyond any doubt that India is fully involved in destabilizing Balochistan and has no intention to mend its way despite protests by Pakistan. Many terrorists arrested in Karachi in the past also confessed that they received training in India while RAW’s backing of Altaf Hussain is now an open secret.
The Indian Prime Minister Modi admitted, during his visit to Bangladesh in June this year, that Pakistan was disintegrated in 1971 under a conspiracy and he himself took active part in war against Pakistan. Government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has already presented dossier of the Indian backing of terrorism in Pakistan to the United States and the UN. In spite of its terrorism mantra, India has failed to present such dossier against Pakistan before the world community.
Keeping evidences of the Indian backing of terrorism in view, Pakistan should not hesitate from holding talks with it on issue of terrorism and ‘infiltration’ on the one hand, and on the other it should take up this issue with world community while sensitising it on Kashmir situation, because it seems that India is leading efforts to target Pakistan on charges of terrorism. Pakistan should tell world community that it is ready to hold talks on terrorism given that these are held under some influential third-party to establish who is backing terrorism.