Zaheer Bhatti
IF the global community is genuinely concerned and wishes to avoid another holocaust and a human tragedy of unimaginable proportions, which may not exclude any on mother earth, it must pay heed to pre-warnings from Pakistani leadership and make India respect the standing UN Security Council Resolutions for a plebiscite in Kashmir allowing them to decide their future. If India refuses to comply, there would be no other remedy for the UN except to order Social and Economic sanctions by nations of the world against the rogue State, which should include severing diplomatic ties and cutting off trade and investment. This is the only civilized option available to the UN when the Indian illegal unilateral move disregarding and undermining the verdict and authority of the Supreme Body charged with delivering justice and bringing order to an increasingly unruly world, has shut option of bilateralism for good. Bilateralism and Third Party mediation are workable where parties to a dispute or their interlocutor are sincere in resolving it and are able to put their egos and expediencies aside. It never works when there is so much mistrust and acrimony among them.
Whenever there has been any possibility of broaching or agitating the Issue; the unfinished Agenda of Partition, India has succeeded in crying wolf without evidence against alleged Pakistani interference in India and India-occupied Kashmir, and in that mist spared no moment itself in carrying out espionage and infiltration to destabilize Pakistan. It has made no secret of its non-acceptance of the creation of Pakistan and has openly bragged about dismembering its Eastern Wing helping create Bangladesh. It has though been going head over heels trying to have proscribed both Hafiz Saeed former Chief of Lashkar-e-Taiba now Jamaat-ul-Dawaa, and Maulana Masud Azhar of Jaish-e-Mohammad as terrorists without success. Jaish-e-Mohammad notably, was banned in Pakistan in compliance with declaration by the UN as a terrorist organization based on presumptions rather than concrete evidence against it, which Pakistan ought to have questioned.
While Indian attempts to get Masud Azhar, its former chief declared a terrorist despite disassociating with the banned outfit, were thwarted by the People’s Republic of China for lack of concrete evidence against him, Arundatti Roy the famed unbiased Indian analyst, has rubbished Modi’s contrived acceptance of Pulwama attack by Jaish-e-Mohammad; expressing ignorance of its existence in India or Kashmir. Pakistan having held Hafiz Saeed repeatedly on demand as also now, has been constrained to release the widely recognized and respected social worker for lack of any actionable evidence against him. India fearing that in view of the current madness let loose by its Ruling BJP cradled in the RSS, both these leaders who were active supporters of the Kashmir cause and among leading philanthropic in the country, may soon be released by Pakistan and like any and all believers of the Faith, may join the likely call for Jehad against Indian tyranny, India has pre-emptively declared the two as terrorists which no one will buy anymore.
After the unilateral Indian move disbanding the emblem and flag of the State in its effort to deprive Kashmiris of their inalienable rights of choice, Imran Khan has upped the tempo against Modi’s move in his public address in Muzafarabad, capital of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, but concurrently restrained emotionally-charged Kashmiris from marching towards the Line of Control and to await his signal, so that Modi does not use such public attempts an excuse to repeat his allegation of Pakistani infiltration, diverting world attention from his demographic cleansing designs. Pakistan must not allow focus to be shifted, and should mobilize the public meaningfully alongside Human Rights Bodies and the International Red Cross to arrange humanitarian aid for the caged and deprived millions across the Line of Control.
Modi’s Kashmir merger move requires a number of things Pakistan must do before its Prime Minister mounts the podium at the UN General Assembly besides sensitizing world governments and their people through chosen emissaries. But while it was the PM’s responsibility to showcase a unanimous Resolution of Joint Session of Parliament condemning the illegal merger of the India-occupied State of Jammu & Kashmir in the Indian Union calling for UN action to undo the move and urge sanctions against the rogue Government of India, the Government failing to rally support with production orders of opposition detainees, and the Opposition creating irresponsible ruckus was a pathetic show at the 12 September joint session;, which hardly conveys a message of unison to the World.
Kashmiris today stand at precipice of history pledged to break loose of all shackles for their ultimate freedom from brutal Hindu rule, and look to none else but providence to give strength to their convictions. Leadership in the Muslim world, despite its financial ascendency failing to use their economic power to rein in India and Israel; the enemies of the faith, have a last chance to assert themselves. Because otherwise, with their resources depleting fast, those among the resource-rich putting their faith in the demi-gods on earth seeking imperial protection for their riches invested in Europe, America and India, instead of Creator who blessed them with all that they have today, may find that these are the destinations nature may first visit, who knows even well before the doomsday; save Iran and Turkey whose resolute support one salutes, and is for Ummah to emulate. Pakistan may go to any length to try to inculcate sense of justice among these demi-gods but eventually must brace up for the ultimate showdown because salvation of Muslims and Islam lies in reviving the spirit of Jehad hitherto abandoned by Muslims; and therefore their miseries and plight. Pakistan must stand up and be counted by rediscovering the spirit in the name of God and justice. Being a nuclear-armed nation with God’s grace Pakistan will not have to wait for India to strike first; its leadership having counted all its costs and ready to deliver.
—The writer is a media professional, member of Pioneering team of PTV and a veteran ex Director Programmes.
