Plight of Kashmiri Muslims in Indian Occupied Kashmir

In our on going series of posts of Islam and life of Muslims in non Muslim Countries, today for this post I have made a slight modification for the plight of Muslims at the hands of Israelis and Indians in Palestine and Indian Occupied Kashmir is the worst case of human rights violation, suppression of seeking freedom and beginning of the worst kind of genocide is unparalleled and most disturbing.

The Muslim inhabitants of the Indian Occupied Kashmir, a disputed territory between Pakistan and India since their independence in 1974 is the worst case of denial of exercise of right of self determination of their future. At the time of independence, while majority Muslim population wanted to be part of Pakistan, a tacit move by the last British viceroy of India, Lord Mountbatten ceded Kashmir to India. This created lot of resentment from Pakistan and a war broke out soon thereafter between the two countries, which was halted due to UN intervention and and resulted in a ceasefire with a front solidified along the Line of Control.

The map showing the division of Kashmir across the Line of Control between Pakistan and India [Photo]

As per the provisions of UN, a plebiscite was to be held to determine the fate of the Jammu and Kashmir region. But since 1947, India has consistently denied this right to the Kashmiris and have tried to suppress their right of self determination with brute force. This has frustrated the Kashmiri Muslims and they have resorted to a long freedom struggle for their legitimate rights. And in doing so, thousands of Kashmiris have lost their lives at the hands of the Indian Army and countless have been maimed for life. 

Indian brute force suppressing voice of Kashmiris [Photo]

In recent times, the intensity of freedom struggle has picked up a greater momentum and an equally greater suppression by Indian Army. Not only many have been martyred, but use of pellet guns have left ugly scars on the bodies of freedom fighters.  

One of the countless pellet gun victims of Indian Occupied Kashmir

Indian forces have committed many human rights abuses and acts of terror against Kashmiri civilian population including extrajudicial killing, rape, torture and enforced disappearances. In 2011, the state humans right commission said it had evidence that 2,156 bodies had been buried in 40 graves over the last 20 years. 

Unarmed retaliation against armed Indian Army [Photo]

Some rights groups say close to 100,000 people have died since 1989 while the official figures from Indian sources state the estimates of number of civilians killed due to the insurgency in the range of 16,725 to 47,000 civilians, in which 3,642 civilians were killed by security forces. According to Amnesty International, no member of the Indian military deployed in Jammu and Kashmir has been tried for human rights violations in a civilian court as of June 2015.

Just recently, when there rose a hope of mediation between the two countries as promised by US president Donald Trump, the World's so-called "largest democracy" has acted in the most undemocratic way possible in illegally rescinding Article 370 on 5th August - a constitutional clause dating back to 1949 that gives Jammu and Kashmir its special autonomous status. The scale of this move cannot be overstated. Abrogating Article 370 represents a major tipping point for an already fraught dispute - and it could easily backfire on India. 

Before the announcement by Indian government and movement of large scale military troops, prominent Kashmir leader Syed Ali Gilani tweeted to the world with a heart wrenching message. The tone and choice of words says it all about the genocide of Kashmiris that is geared in coming days.

With this ugly move, Jammu and Kashmir will turn from a state to a union territory, meaning India’s central government in New Delhi will gain much more control over the area’s affairs. New Delhi is also considering splitting parts of J&K into two federal territories: the new state of Jammu and Kashmir, which will get its own legislature; and Ladakh, a remote and mountainous area that won’t get a legislature. By dispensing with the region’s autonomous status, it can formally consummate that integration and deliver a definitive blow to the region’s separatist impulses.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said the decision was a "sinister one" designed to change the demographics of the only Muslim-majority state. "We have been let down by the same nation we ceded to," she said, adding that it seemed as though the state had made the "wrong choice" in aligning with India rather than Pakistan during partition in 1947.

This sinister move by Modi's India brings to forth the rejection of Two Nation Theory put forward by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, founding father of Pakistan. However when Mr Jinnah raised his voice, many Muslim leaders shrugged his suggestion and sided with India. Now after seven decades Jinnah's wisdom has started to dawn on those who though India would protect them.

The scrapping of Article 370 means a defiance to UN resolutions and holding of the plebiscite. More broadly, though, India unilaterally pushed to change Kashmir’s status without Pakistan’s buy-in. The worry now is that widespread unrest will spike in the region. Indian forces already heavily patrol Kashmir, but it has sent thousands of extra troops there in anticipation of violence, as well as closed schools, evacuated tourists, cut off internet connectivity, and put some of the area’s political leaders under house arrest. In effect, the area is on lock down.

Bodies of cluster bombs fired across Line of Control by India 

UN Observers photoing the cluster bomb shells [Photo]

Ahead of the decision, India not only deployed a large number of additional Armed troops in Kashmir, but had also stepped crossed border shelling into Azad Jammu and Kashmir. They have even used cluster bombs which were even seen by the members of UN monitoring teams. The shelling and set ablaze many houses, martyred many Kashmirs besides wounding dozens recently.

A young man holding Pakistani flag - The Bold Defiance in the face of Indian Army 

Today Modi has trashed international law and dozens of U.N. resolutions and dashed the hopes of millions upon millions of people praying for justice and peace to prevail. Modi has shown he is not a man of peace. He is a man of war who doesn't seem to realize the potentially catastrophic consequences of playing with fire.

Timothy Todd Shea, an avid contributor on Facebook, on 5th of August wrote in reaction to the Indian move to scrap the Article 370 of its constitution, which honestly reflects the aspirations of Muslims in Pakistan, Kashmir and elsewhere:

Dear People of The World, if YOU stay silent now as you have for 70 years about the atrocities in Kashmir, if you don't even try to understand the roots of this conflict, if you simply don't care about what is going on in Kashmir and this week's naked military aggression and escalation of violence and tyranny over innocent Kashmiris who have been begging for YOU to hear their cries for 70 years, then you are complicit in the crimes against Humanity that are being perpetrated by Modi and his Hindu extremist terrorist thugs.

If you are OK with India's outrageous and criminal behavior in throwing a peace offering into the burning trash can of war, then please do not complain and do not cry if and when this conflict spirals out of control and leads to a nuclear exchange which will harm you, your family and every Human Being and forever scar the face of our planet and alter the course of history.

Totally agreeing with Timothy, I would say that when it comes to a non Muslim country usurping the rights of Muslims, the world keeps silent or shows its indifference, but when a Muslim country is seen usurping rights of non Muslims, the world community acts faster than the speed of light to get them Independence. Why could this not be done in case of Kashmir for almost seven decades. The indifference of world towards plight of Muslims clearly exhibited.

Carrying the body of  fallen Kashmiri with resolve to get freedom one day [Photo]

Do watch this informative documentary of the freedom struggle by the Kashmiris and see their sentiments against the occupying Indian forces:

I do not know how would be the reaction of the world to Kashmir after this one sided notorious Indian move, and how much the world will support the Kashmirs in getting them their rights. Time will tell. But I keep my fingers crossed for I do not see justice being forthcoming in any substantial way from the world community.

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

Originally posted in my blog: Islam My Ultimate Decision

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Arundhati Roy: A brave woman exposing the machinations of Indian Prime Minister Modi

India has always boasted of its secularism since its creation and has in varying shades fooled the world of giving the equal rights to all segments of people and treating all religions as per the dictates of a secular state. But the reality is far from different. India believes in Hindutva and successive governments have always tacitly propagated ideology seeking to establish the hegemony of Hindus and the Hindu way of life.

However, in recent times, there is a rising trend to establish the hegemony of Hindus all over India and Muslims are the main target of this ideology. Since taking over the government, the present Indian Prime Minister Modi has been actively pursuing the policy of targeting Muslims and the incidents of forced conversion of Muslims to Hinduism are on the increase. Those who object or refuse to be converted are severely beaten and their properties vandalized. 

The once heavenly Kashmir, which was the main tourist attraction of the world has now been turned into a battle field for its majority Muslim populations has never reconciled with the integration of Kashmir with India, which should have in fact been merged into Pakistan at the time of the independence from the British India being a Muslim majority area. Today more than 600,000 personnel of the Indian army are stationed in Jammu and Kashmir to suppress the rightful independence struggle. 

Charged with extremist Hindu ideology, there are a very few Hindu scholars and thinkers who dare to speak out the truth and against the policies of Modi and expose his machinations to turn India into a Hindu state rather than a secular state where followers of all regions could live freely.

One such sane voice which is being heard all over the world is that of Suzanna Arundhati Roy, a brave Indian author best known for her novel The God of Small Things (1997), which won the Man Booker Prize for Fiction in 1997 and became the biggest-selling book by a non-expatriate Indian author. She is also a political activist involved in human rights and environmental causes. In 2013, Roy described Narendra Modi's nomination for the prime ministerial candidate as a "tragedy". She further said that the business houses were supporting his candidacy because he was the "most militaristic and aggressive" candidate.

In a recent interview to the BBC, she exposes the hidden agenda of Prime Minister Modi, which is being actively pursued just ahead of the Indian elections to raise the temperature and charge the Hindus to vote for him to win a majority government and then to change the Indian constitution to turn India into a purely Hindu dominated country giving no rights for followers of other religions as has been the case of a secular India. Listen to here very candid interview:

It is hoped that saner and peace loving Indians would follow her suit and side away from the militant Hindus who have already brought Pakistan and India almost at the brink of war in recent days - a war if that happens will be a tragedy for the people of both countries as it would leave behind nothing but destruction, on the ashes of which Modi and like will stand and play the flute as did Nero in olden times.

Photo | References | 1 | 2 | 3 |

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Pakistan’s Asymmetrical Response To Trump - A Clever Way To Flip The Tables On Afghanistan

Written by Andrew KORYBKO

Pakistan’s announcement that it will seek the expulsion of over 1,5 million Afghan refugees in the next 30 days is being tacitly justified by Trump’s tweet and channels his zero-tolerance stance towards immigration from “terrorist”-prone states, but it also represents the employment of reverse-“Weapons of Mass Migration” in pushing Kabul closer towards the edge of collapse and consequently filling the Taliban’s rank of supporters.

Donald J. Trump

The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!

Trump is going to soon regret what he tweeted about Pakistan on New Year’s Day in accusing it of “giving safe haven to terrorists”, since Islamabad is poised to hit Washington with an asymmetrical counter punch that it surely won’t forget.

The Pakistani government just announced that over 1,5 million Afghan refugees must leave the country within the next 30 days, a plan that it’s been working on for a while but which just received a fresh impetus and internationally-acceptable justification with Trump’s tweet.

Had it not been for the American President’s zero-tolerance towards immigration from what his administration labels as “terrorist”-prone countries, which crucially includes Afghanistan for substantial and not political reasons (as the latter relates to Iran’s inclusion and Saudi Arabia’s exclusion), then Pakistan would have risked drawing heavy pressure from the State Department on exaggerated claims that it’s “violating the human rights” of the refugees.

Trump, however, said that Pakistan was “giving safe haven to terrorists”, and since the US formally regards Afghan refugees as being too much of a potential security hazard to allow into its own country, it’s forced to accept Pakistan’s expulsion of 1,5 million of them on the implicit basis that they also constitute a serious terrorist threat to the state such as the one that the President just tweeted about.

This isn't at all what Trump meant when he issued his tweet, nor the reaction that he was expecting, but by cleverly exploiting the President’s own policies at home and the suggestion he was making towards Pakistan abroad, Islamabad found a creative way to asymmetrically strike back at Washington.

Not only could Pakistan soon rid itself of actual terrorist sleeper cells and societal malcontents who have long overstayed their welcome in the neighboring country, it will also be catalyzing a series of cascading crises for Kabul through the employment of what can be described as reverse-“Weapons of Mass Migration”.

To briefly explain, Ivy League researcher Kelly M. Greenhill introduced the concept of “Weapons of Mass Migration” in 2010 to describe the ways through which large-scale population movements — whether “naturally occurring”, engineered, or exploited — impact on their origin, transit, and destination societies, theorizing that this phenomenon can have a strategic use in some instances.

Of relevance, the influx of millions of Afghan “Weapons of Mass Migration” into Pakistan since 1979 had the effect of destabilizing the host country’s border communities and eventually contributing to the spree of terrorist attacks that have since claimed over 60,000 lives in the past 15 years, but now the large-scale and rapid return of these “weapons” to their country of origin will also inevitably destabilize Afghanistan.

The landlocked and war-torn country is utterly unable to accommodate for what amounts to a roughly 3% increase in its total population in the next 30 days, especially seeing as how the Kabul government exerts little influence beyond the capital and has no sway in the approximate half of the country that’s under the control of the Taliban.

The US-backed Afghan government is already failing its citizens as it is and that’s why so many of them have either joined the Taliban or sympathize with it in the first place, so the odds of the returned refugees successfully reintegrating into their homeland’s socio-economic fabric and becoming “model citizens” is close to nil, meaning that it should be expected that the vast majority of these 1,5 million people will more than likely come to side with the Taliban than Kabul and consequently make the country much more difficult for the US to control.

In essence, what Pakistan has done is throw Trump’s tweet right back at him by using it as the internationally plausible pretext for initiating this long-planned move that was originally predicated on solely apolitical security-centric domestic interests but has now pertinently come to embody geo-strategic contours by powerfully turning the tables against the US in Afghanistan through the employment of reverse-“Weapons of Mass Migration”.

DISCLAIMER: The author writes for this publication in a private capacity which is unrepresentative of anyone or any organization except for his own personal views. Nothing written by the author should ever be conflated with the editorial views or official positions of any other media outlet or institution.

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Tillerson's Asian Visit: What is cooking up in India?

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's recent visit to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India raises many an eyebrow as the high ranking US official just spent a few hours each in Afghanistan and Pakistan and then embarks upon a two days visit to India.

In America's so called war on terror, Afghanistan and Pakistan should have assumed greater importance where he just happened to have touched down and fly away to India - a country the US is trying to incorporate for peace in Afghanistan, while peace in Afghanistan cannot be sustained and obtained by Pakistan.

Perhaps it was for this lukewarm visit approach by Tillerson that he apparently received a rather cold shoulder from Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif and other cabinet members in Islamabad. 

As per reports, Pakistan seem to have hit back at the accusations about harboring terrorism, just as Pakistan defended its record on the matter during the recent opening of the UN General Assembly. In a press conference after the meeting, the Pakistan foreign minister categorically said that;

• “Terrorist attacks are not planned on or executed from Pakistani soil; there are no terrorist safe havens in Pakistan, and we made this clear to the US delegation today. 
• We emphasized again and again that US assessment about Pakistan is wrong. We are not responsible for the increase in the drug trade in Afghanistan or the increasing Afghan territory occupied by terrorists.
• Our armed forces and law enforcement agencies have taken action; we have yielded results and will continue to do so but not for Afghan or American interest. Our fight against terrorism is our own and the results we yield are our win”.

Analyzing Pakistan government's staff, Adam Garrie of Global Village Space remarks: Assuming the language Asif and his colleagues used behind closed doors was at least as strong as the public statement, the US should be in no doubt about Pakistan’s position.

In recent times, Pakistan, dejected by repeated accusations by the USA to do more when its armed forces have lost thousands of its officers and men in combating the terrorism, have started to realign itself to the regional stake holders like China and Russia with whom it can establish a better natural relationship being in close proximity and for the reason that they understand the dynamics of the region better than  USA sitting thousands of miles away, assuming things in a rather wrongly perceived self perspective.

The opening of China Pakistan economic Corridor (CPEC) brings Pakistan closer to China than ever before and its joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) also brings itself close to Russia. The trade relations with Russia and Pakistan are opening up every day and soon Pakistan will emerge as a strong country in the region backed by China and Russia.

America will lose more by aligning itself with India and continuing to bully Pakistan for its failure in Afghanistan. In fact the USA wants a scape goat in the form of a blamed Pakistan for its failures in Afghanistan, where despite its elite forces the Taliban control more than 45% of the Afghan territory. Its time for USA to have a save exit from Afghanistan and bringing Afghanistan and Pakistan more closer to each other rather than asking India for help, an arch rival of Pakistan and Pakistan will never accept India's role in the afghan peace process for this very reason. Even otherwise India's jumping in to steal a piece of cake will further worsen situation in Afghanistan. This flawed policy will only worsen the US position in the region.

"Were the current Indian government not so hostile to Pakistan, one could imagine Pakistan feeling some sympathy for an Indian state that is being used by the US for its own geo-strategic and military purposes. For decades, the US used Pakistan in similar ways and to a degree is still trying to do so. The difference is that Pakistan and the world around Pakistan have changed and Islamabad’s leaders are well aware of this long overdue advantage," assumes Adam Garrie.

Is USA listening??

References: Global Village Space

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US Dilemma: Trump finding it difficult to dismount the lion

The US finds it does not know how to dismount the tiger. The US is finding the War in Afghanistan a little too hot for its liking and why not; it was a War that remained in search of strategy and failed to find it. It’s not that I wish to gloat, nor that I want to say ‘I told you so’, but that one is forced to respond when confronted with accusations that the US failed in Afghanistan on account of Pakistan. That we were a tricky two-faced partner. Since I was closely associated with this conflict for a number of years and since I am aware of the things that happened, it is only right that people such as me must speak for Pakistan just as we fought for Pakistan.

That a hundred and fifty thousand NATO troops have been overwhelmed by the imagined hoards that Pakistan sent across the border, challenges my professional understanding of the situation. That this is the same border that neither Afghanistan recognizes and nor accepts its management or fencing, a fact that of course cannot have escaped US attention. That Pakistan has seven times the number of posts than Afghanistan and the US combined does not seem to make any headway. That Afghan communication systems are functioning despite Pakistan’s repeated requests that they be shut down while Pakistani SIMs are down and out is another moot point. 

That three Generals of the US Army promised additional border deployment with a US brigade across the North Waziristan Border remains a promise unfulfilled and forgotten. That the US unilaterally up-staked and left Nuristan and the Kunar Valley, one of the most dangerous areas on the border, creating a vacuum is a question that only they can answer. That Pakistani dissidents were given safe havens in this vacuum and encouraged to attack Pakistan is for all to see and take note of. That the MOB (Mother of all Bombs) accounted for 14 Indians from Kerala amongst the causalities was never a surprise for us. That India is permitted to have so many conciliates along the Border, and none are processing visas is an obvious aberration. That Pakistan suffered horrendous terrorist attacks from Afghanistan through these bands of militants organized and facilitated in Kunar is a no brainer. The most damning aspect of this whole sorry episode is the narco issue that no one wants to talk about. A thriving drug trade amounting to a market value of $ 38 billion is hushed up. A trade under the nose of the US, and just as they do not control 40 % of the space, the damning implication of such a drug economy cannot be ignored.

Pakistan has been a so called ally. It has captured the maximum Al Qaida operators than all countries combined. It has lost 70000 of its citizens, it has the highest military causalities, its officer dead and wounded to troop ratio is the highest in the world, its generals to troop causalities is unprecedented. The cost of war has devastated the infrastructure, caused millions of its people to be displaced and has affected the economy to the tune of $ 100 Billion. It has cleared 48000 sq Kms of its space, secured 3500 Kms of lines of communication, it has established the writ of the government in these areas, people are returning home, the forces are popular and the borders controlled. But then even as I narrate this, it also saddens me. Do the Americans not know this? Are we just a victim of not having a narrative, a victim of a bad image or slanderous Haqqani shooting off his mouth? Could it be as simple as that? No, that is not possible and I am convinced, that no amount of logic, no amount of reasoning will change the US posture towards Pakistan. 

The bias and the prejudice is despite what the US knows; the posture taken is premeditated and deliberate and therefore we must have been factored into some distant objective the US may have in mind and therefore action initiated against us must be a way to arrive at that objective. The story of the safe havens we are accused of nurturing is so close to the engineered narrative about the weapons of mass destruction that were allegedly discovered in Iraq and is so much like the standard and predictable US method to madness i.e. create a false casus-belie, broad caste it and then respond to it with a pre-planned and designated physical force, that one, at the least, cannot fault the US in being true to its form.

However, at the moment I still feel that the US is going through the motion of the good-cop bad-cop routine and if we can stare them down effectively, they may back down. Remember, the US is a bully and the bully can never be appeased; the more you please, the more arrogant he gets.

However, we are warned in the first part of the new US manoeuvre while in the second part we are to expect a troop surge of 4000 troops to make a total of 12000 men. In the confused and tentative objectives of this two pronged strategy, the US is looking for its relief, its coup de grace, and conclusion to its military adventure in Afghanistan. How? The troop numbers cannot win back the 40% of space already lost, in fact that cannot sustain the space they already have. I see these troops now resorting to fire-power, bombings and long range artillery with a high ratio of airborne component. 

The nature and character of this force does not appear to have a ground-holding capacity. So I can only conclude that it is intended to punish the Taliban from a distant. If that be true, to what purpose? To me it appears that it endeavours to put the US in a better position to negotiate a power transfer. To me it looks that this ‘Unity’ Government is about to be ditched. To me it looks that the Taliban have won a place at the table where they can secure the ways and means to be the future legitimate government of Afghanistan. To me it also seems that the Indians may be the next US proxy and who might be foolish enough to take on this role. I hope they do. My hopes are founded on the likely outcome of such a stupidity if it ever comes to it.

Coming to Pakistan; we are about to lose our privileged allied status. Were we ever privileged, did we discover any advantage or draw anything out of such a relationship? I think it is time to sever this relationship that has in fact cost us so much. So we hear of all the money and funds that the US taxpayers gave to us. I for one am thankful for their assistance, I would like to say to the people of the US that we are grateful for their contributions. However, what did we get and should we always be told of what are obligations are on account of it? Well here are the bare facts; taking the year 2009 as a constant; we have received from the US a total of $ 61 Billion. 

Working on another constant of 180 million people at the time, this translates to $10.30/ head. Surely we can do without this $10.30 , even if it did get to the people which it never did. We have also received, a total of $14 Billion since 2002 till today. Against a 175 Billion national economy, this hardly amounts to .0.5% of our GDP. Like I said earlier, we are thankful for whatever we received and would never want to look a gift horse in the mouth but in no way do we feel that we are obligated due to such an insignificant amount or for that matter any amount, nor is the US entitled to make unreasonable demands on account of it, nor can we put our sovereignty or what remains of it, at the disposal of the US, because of it. We are not for sale.

So having lost the war in Afghanistan, for which they now wish to blame Pakistan, having parked our enemy in our back yard, having closed an eye to how we have been attacked from areas under their control and now being threatened for some ulterior motive, we must seek a suitable response. In my mind, the US will do what it has decided to do regardless of any explanations we have, any reasoning, narrative or argument that we present. Whereas, our response lies mostly in the domain of diplomacy and in garnering support from friendly countries as far as possible, yet we must reserve the right and the option of responding in a reciprocal a manner if it comes to a physical conflict. 

We should be wary of the total lack of support from the Islamic countries and the so called Ummah as they have amply displayed and rely on ourselves more than anyone else. My recommendation: a warning to Afghanistan that any hostile activity emanating from its territory will be taken as an act of war. That we shall respond by causing as much damage as we can in Kabul, Jalalabad, Kandahar and Bagram. We have the range, capability and capacity; they should be wary of testing it. This may deter any adventure the US has in mind - never beg a bully!!!!

About the Author: 

Lieutenant general Tariq Khan (Retired), Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military), winner of the Sword of Honour from Pakistan Military Academy and is a graduate of the prestigious National Defense University of Pakistan and has a long experience of fighting the War on Terror in the tribal areas of Pakistan and along the Pakistan- Afghanistan border. He has extensive interaction with the allied commanders employed in Afghanistan and working with top  military elite at CENTCOM. He has been one of the few Pakistan Army officers awarded with the Legion of Merit by the USA. He also has the honour of commanding one of the strike corps of Pakistan Army. He is a well read military analyst who often shares his view points, incisive and thought provoking analysis on national and international affairs.


(The views expressed above are personal of the author and do not necessarily express the opinion of the admin of this blog)

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The Grinding Pakistan - US Relations: A Rational Analysis

Much is being said about the recent statement of Donald Trump. Yes, rightfully world has to analyze his words as he commands the super power. It is also acknowledged fact that a mere presence of its 101 Air borne division of aircraft carrier changes the power dynamics of region. Is move of 7 fleet into bay of Bengal into 1971 fresh in our memory? And have we read what our president was hoping?

But we are a sovereign nation with a large army. Why should we go into panic. I am amazed that we are telling the world what we sacrificed for this war on terror – funny and shame. We need to do all for our country not to get American sympathy. We must learn to indulge in interstate relationship.

Don’t play victim to circumstances; you created. We are doing exactly the same. Let me refresh your memory of our relationship with USA. Pakistan gets independence and we run towards USA for strategic alignment, while ignoring the region. We outsourced, Badabair Air base, join CENTO and SEATO. FM, negotiates a deal with USA for military support and in the process divulges our strategic secrets. USA condones dictator for his worst act of takeover and becomes an ally. We decide to go for liberation of Kashmir and infiltrate into IHK in 1965. That is good enough. US stops your aid and we start abusing USA for not being loyal.

The then president Yayha imposes another martial law. He acts wisely and gets involved in clandestine channel to make a secret visit of Dr. Kissinger to China. They tried to pay back by pressurizing India in 1971 to spare us. We lost East Pakistan. USA claims that it helped to save the western half of Pakistan.

We again start cursing USA. In 1977, Zia takes over and he too needs USA help to get international approval. Zia opts to join AFGHAN JIHAD. We become darling of USA and billions of dollars comes in. Who had good time, is not known to us.

Then comes Musharraf’s disgraceful decision to help after 9/11. He becomes a great statesman. Again billions of dollars comes in and some of our people took reward money to headhunt Taliban including the president of Pakistan.

This is brief history of our relationship with USA. My questions:

1. Is US doing charity work in our region? They have their interests and they feel we are not doing enough. I feel it is a disgrace for a nation to be working for someone and getting financial rewards. We can ask USA please do it yourself, if we have the guts and power. 

2. Trump has spelled out his strategy for South Asia and that is his right. Why must we start fighting and ask him to acknowledge our sacrifices. Again it is disgraceful, we need to be happy with ourselves. 

3. USA wants more role for India, so it is their regional policy. It is the people and govt of Afghanistan who have to decide, whom to trust.? We gave many sacrifices for Afghanistan. We need to think as to why Afghans want more role for India?

4. USA says that we are hiding Taliban and we deny it. So let them say and we are a sovereign nation and keep doing what is in our national interest. But what is our national interest?

"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings." It is all our faults. We have taken unwise and selfish decisions that we stand totally marginalized and isolated. It is good that China is one hope but now we do not want to be their colony. We never loved our country. We are into prejudices – army, civilians, democracy. We are all corrupt. We never planned for our country, see our population vs resources. And see what have we done with religion. We need to be a international law abiding nation and always take decisions for national interests.

About the Author: Brigadier Asif Aliv (Retired) is a graduate of the prestigious National Defense University of Pakistan and a well read military analyst who often shares his view points, incisive and thought provoking analysis on national and international affairs at Facebook
(The views expressed above are personal of the author and do not necessarily express the opinion of the admin of this blog)

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Dawn Leaks and after from a General's Perspective

Lieutenant general Tariq Khan (retired) of Pakistan is an intellectual and well read person beside having served in the Pakistan Army for almost four decades. He often airs his views on important national and bilateral relations of Pakistan with neighboring countries for he has bad an extensive  employment in areas adjacent to Afghanistan and very intimate interaction with the senior US Forces' high command. 

He generally avoids going on to TV because he does not think he is equipped nor have the authority to pass judgment and give an opinion on the controversial issues of today. Simply do not know enough, says he. However, he does it at times, as a layman only if he thinks he can contribute towards a better understanding of how the military works or thinks since that is where he spent most of my life and my only claim to fame.

Recently he was approached by BBC to comment upon Dawn Leaks in their Seherbeen Programme and thinking that he could be helpful and that BBC has a reputation and is reliable, he gave my consent, specially once he was given to understand that there will be no editing. 

However after seeing what was telecast at 2300 hrs, 5 May on Aaj TV by BBC, he was disappointed; the gist of his talk was edited brutally and only portions that suited them were shown. While extremely disappointed with the BBC, he says that he would not give any interviews to BBC again, explains his view point very candidly and openly to clarify his stance on recent happenings in and around Pakistan in the wake of Dawn Leaks, which has tried to malign Pakistan Army:

1. Dawn Leaks must not be seen as an event but more as a phenomenon that has much more to it than visible at the surface.

2. It stems from a divided opinion about India-Pakistan relations. The govt wants a better relationship at 'any cost', and the Army, a better relationship after resolution of core issues. This has led to a divided nation. Though both views are valid there is no policy defining which is correct.

3. However it is India that directs how our relationship develops and not us. They are in a position to influence Afghanistan as well and as such most regional matters will be directed, regulated and manipulated by them.

4. India is conducting unprecedented genocide in Kashmir and is disturbed by Pakistan' s new but weak stance at the UN. The progress on CPEC is another issue leading to deeper Pakistan China ties and rapprochement with Russia.The Taliban successes in Afghanistan leading to the likely ouster of the present artificial Unity Govt, is yet another.

He continues to assert:

5. Kulbashan incident has exposed a nexus between Indian Intelligence and some of our political leaders. Sajjan Jindal's open statements against Pakistan Army are on record. The timid approach in bringing the Kulbashan matter to the UN and welcoming Sajjan Jindal in Pakistan is a sad reflection of how the govt wishes to pursue its concept of better relations with India. It is easier for them to talk to a hostile Indian than our own Army.

6. It seems that the Army is standing in the way and has to be suitably put in its place. Thus the Dawn Leaks, a manufactured bit of information was released to the press to defame the Army and tell the international community that the govt is beleaguered and hostage to a rogue army. The wordings echoed Jindal's tweet in meaning as well as accusation. It reflected an enemy's point of view. If it was manufactured, what was the purpose? If it was actually a leak of an event that did place in the PM's house; why?

7. India is trying to get the Army listed as a proscribed terrorist organization in the UN. Our govt is likely to show criminal indifference. The Army may get listed as such in the future by default and a walk-over. This would lead to international pressure to reform the Army.

8. The Govt is likely to try a 'Turkey' here. This is what the Dawn Leaks is about. It is a blatant display of sedation and subversion. It is about spreading propaganda against a State institution responsible for National Security, that has so far not been compromised or politicized and is standing ground, for the people of this nation.

9. Its resolution lies in a top level meeting, removing of all disagreements, giving a joint statement on a unified approach to India as an enemy of the State and a State sponsoring terrorism in the region. Also Aggressively pursuing the Kashmir issue at the UN and Security Council.

This view point was edited and for better or for worse was my opinion that I was trying to put out.

Note: The view point expressed above are that of Lieutenant general Tariq Khan (retired) and have only been reproduced to show an other perspective from a person who has in depth knowledge and experience of affairs presently being faced by Pakistan

Source

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Pakistan-India Relations: A different viewpoint

By Lieutenant General Tariq Khan (Retired)

Lately India has embarked upon a aggressive campaign against Pakistan, both politically and militarily, maligning it in everything that happens in their country. For some reasons, we try to downplay each event for the sake of 'improving' relations, while Indians do not let go even the smallest incident by implicating Pakistan. If both the two nations eat 'aloo gosht' it does not mean we are friends or the same breed.

Here is a different viewpoint about the recent Indian aggressiveness against Pakistan by Lieutenant General Tariq Khan (Retired), who is the recipient of the coveted sword of honour from Pakistan Military academy, and has a vast experience of watching closely both eastern and western frontiers of the country, commanding an Armoured Division and Infantry Division in the Taliban infested South Waziristan. Tariq Khan also led the Frontier Corps to victory against the Taliban in the Battle of Bajaur. He has also worked closely with the coalition forces in Afghanistan. Besides he has had an extended tenure at the CENTCOM where he received United States Legion of Merit for meritorious services as a liaison officer at CENTCOM during Operation Enduring Freedom.

Here is what he has to say about Pakistan-India relations:

The Indians keep talking of having got hold of damning evidence in the Dinanagar Case. Let's examine it and I do not think our intelligence needs me to defend them. First, it is obvious that it is not in Pakistan's interest to escalate matters now but it is in India's interest to create some sort of a confusion for the following reasons:

1. Pakistan is about to take the Indians to the cleaners in the Baluchistan matter in the Security Council.

2. Apparently some progress was being made in the Afghan reconciliation which at its conclusion is not likely to allow an Indian role in Afghanistan.

3. The CPEC and it's effects.

4. The uprising of the Sikhs in Punjab.

5. The MQM factor and stabilisation of Karachi.

These are some of the major points to consider whereas more can also be proffered. Some questions for the Indians to consider:

1. Claiming they have irrefutable GPS data seems to look as if these jokers have seen a GPS for the first time. Data can be added and the GPS could also be planted, which in this case is probable. After all, they are so smart and we so foolish that we infiltrate into enemy territory with a sign posted to say, 'I am from Pakistan' and of all people they discover it.

2. How did these infiltrators cross the River Ravi when it's in full flood, spanning 1000 meters with a massive discharge of water?

3. If the fence is so ineffective why spend so much on it. It maybe preferable to spend it on the thousands starving in the nude on Delhi's streets

This brings me to the threats: I think we have heard enough from the Indians, we have never threatened them, so what's stopping this declared terrorist who is their PM who is hiding his train massacre of Muslims and threatening us from the comforts of his office?.

As for Kashmir, it shall never be theirs and the matter will be resolved. To the Indians I would say it's a question of time. Our own weaknesses and internal bickering has delayed the matter; when we are ready I can promise you we shall come to get what's ours. Hopefully you will not have to wait too long.

Leaving aside the war that they won by supporting a separatist movement in East Pakistan, they, who are 8 times are size have nothing to brag about. In 1948 we got most of our Kashmir by the Pashtuns alone, in '65 we got the rest of what we have through Gen Akhtar Malik's offensive. Have they forgotten Ran of Kutch? Sialkot was the largest tank battle after world war two and they got thrashed; must have been the largest thrashing in military history by that equation and that too by one regiment alone, 25 Cavalry? ??? Do they remember MM Alam, in case they need a reference they need to look at the Guinness book of records, a Pakistani fighter pilot who took out 5 Indian hijras in one engagement. So, yes, I for one would welcome an Indian adventure, haven't been to India and would love to see the monuments attributed to our forefathers in Delhi and Agra etc.

The other issue is of the waters that the Indians are trying to choke off. Well I would welcome any investment in dams and other such projects. We have never been good at these but since we are likely to inherit these structures I would request that we should closely supervise them for good quality and not cutting edges here and there.

Last of all; every dog has his day and we will come for you Indians. You will have to destroy us if you do not want that to happen.

We are not an ordinary Army, we have our moments of glory too. We moved 3.5 million people out of Swat and relocated them. Cleared the Valley of militants in 3 months and moved the people back to their homes. Unprecedented in military history and the closest to this was the international community trying to move 3 million Afghan refugees back to Afghanistan and failing even after 30 years. 

We are the Army that has cleared 3500 kms of road in the conflict zone and control our lines of communications unlike the Coalition of 35 countries, hunkered down in static garrisons, whimpering, frightened and awaiting relief every six months while they paid the Taliban goodwill money not to attack them. They, the conquerors of Afghanistan have now run with their tail between their legs while we are here to stay. What of the Cambrian Patrol where our Army was pitched against the best, UK, USA, Russia, Canada, South Africa, Australia, Germany, Italy and you, India. We stood first in the world. No we are not an ordinary Army and rue the day when you the Indians have to face us again.

Some may think I am India centric, well yes I am and proud of it. I have considered them to be my enemy for 35 years and was paid to do so. I have no other way of looking at it. I am neither a politician or a diplomat and thus am liberated from the pseudo intellectual debate of 'how it would benefit both of us to improve relations'. This is an enemy state and this ambiguity must be addressed, we work against each other's interests and who ever does it better, wins. 

The view appeared on Facebook recently

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Pakistan at the crossroads - yet again

Those who are following the recent events in the region would find a very grim situation for Pakistan. The Afghans have openly accused Pakistan for the recent Kabul attack and a faction of afghans have even gave fatwa to wage war against 'infidel Pakistan.' 

While Afghans are seen burning Pakistan flags and currency notes, the Afghan soldiers are seen trampling Pakistan flag. And on 15 August, Indian flags were displayed to celebrate Indian independence day. 

Even in England, hardliner Muslims are seen chanting dirty slogans against Pakistan (see photo above) and calling it an infidel state.

Our foreign policy is a total chaos while India is winning on all fronts including Afghanistan and Iran - and have found inroads in Arab countries by taking advantage of our reluctance to support them against Yemen. While we lost our grounds in Arab states merely to appease Iran, Iran ignored it blatantly and extended its hands of further friendship to India while Saudi Arabia for the first time in its history allowed Indian air force jets on its soil - as part of its extended future defence ties with India.

Our leaders are engrossed in playing dirty politics and seem oblivious of the precarious situation Pakistan is facing these days. It seems the politicians are trying to gain more economically from India than standing up to it for the harm it is doing to our country and our relations with the Arab world. 

As for the Pak-Afghan relations, some analysts even fear a comeback of Pakhtoonistan thing once again. 

On the inner front, the cleansing operation in Karachi from serial killers and extortionists has gained many successes. But one leading political party which has its strings attached to London has resigned from assemblies in protest for its own workers being targeted. A sane man would say how come after the operations the numbers of deaths in Karachi have reduced? How come people of Karachi came out in vast numbers to celebrate the independence day after years of token attendance? 

We have proofs of involvement of foreign countries - but we seem reluctant to openly announce it and protest against it while other countries like India, Iran and Afghanistan do not take a minute to blame Pakistan for something going wrong in their countries.

Already Indian PM is in UAE taking advantage of the wedge created between UAE-Pakistan relations after Pakistan's stance on Yemeni issue and is making inroads for greater Indian role in UAE - and UAE has 'graciously reciprocated' by allowing an Indian mandar on its soil for the Hindus working in UAE.

There are still debates on who created terrorists and Taliban and who is to be blamed. But haven't we have focused enough on the past, abusing and criticising Zia and others. This would solve no problem we are facing today. Time has come that instead of wasting our energies on criticism and analyses (which has been done in abundance by all and sundry), now let us look forward and draw out our future response and strategy. We have yet to evolve a response to what is going to happen when army operation comes to an end - do we have a mechanism to ensure that terrorists do not surface yet again and we don't get into this filthy quagmire once again?

Is someone listening, watching and THINKING?

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