AS it did before ‘Marka-e-Haq’, India is once again misreading ground realities imperiling regional peace and stability. It is also strange that at a time when voices including former military officials and members of civil society were increasingly advocating for a dialogue with Pakistan and peace and regional stability instead of confrontation, the Indian military chief hurled a naked threat saying Pakistan must choose whether it wants to be ‘part of geography or history’. The Pakistan Army has rightly told the Indian leadership that threatening a sovereign nuclear neighbour with elimination from “geography” was not strategic signaling or brinkmanship; it is sheer bankruptcy of cognitive capacities, madness and warmongering despite knowing the reality that such geographic obliteration would certainly be mutual and comprehensive.
For keen readers of South Asian history, India’s ill intentions, accusations and threats against Pakistan are nothing new and have nothing to do with the issue of terrorism as New Delhi tries to portray to hoodwink the international public opinion. Then Indian leaders saw Pakistan falling within months of Independence, which demonstrated its born bias against Pakistan. As their expectations did not materialise they did everything within their power to harm Pakistan strategically and economically, devouring what legitimately belonged to the new state of Pakistan, imposing wars and launching concerted propaganda campaigns to defame the country. This is in stark contrast to the policy of dialogue and mutual co-existence pursued by Pakistan for the sake of regional peace and stability, which was essential to address common issues of poverty, disease and illiteracy. Beginning from the illegal annexation of Jammu and Kashmir, India relied heavily on the concept of use of force to promote its Hindutva philosophy and focused on Pakistan considering it as a major obstacle in the way of realization of its expansionist designs. It was in this backdrop that India imposed another war on Pakistan in May last year on the pretext of a false-flag operation of Pahalgam but got a chilling response. The statement of the Indian army chief is an indication that Indian leadership had neither been able to reconcile with the very idea of Pakistan nor it had learnt the right lessons, even after passage of eight decades as it harbours same old nefarious plans against Pakistan. In its rejoinder, the Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) has aptly pointed out that Indian narrative conveniently ignores India’s own historically documented record of being a harbinger of terrorism in the region, a state sponsor of terrorism, key source of regional instability, practitioner of transnational assassinations and a hotbed of disinformation campaign across the globe. Delhi’s aggressive posturing stems less from confidence and more from frustration at its inability to harm Pakistan, which has been brutally exposed during Marka-e-Haq. The short war proved beyond an iota of doubt that Pakistan was fully prepared to respond to conventional and unconventional threats to its security and territorial integrity and that the entire nation was united to foil designs of the enemy. Any notion of harming or eliminating Pakistan will prove to be MAD (mutually assured destruction) and it is for India to consider whether it can afford such a course. Pakistan’s consistent diplomatic, political and strategic engagement at the global level reflected its status as a responsible state and an important nuclear power increasingly recognized in international forums. The international community continues to engage Pakistan in conflict resolution efforts, peace negotiations and broader diplomatic initiatives aimed at maintaining regional stability and global peace. It was because of Pakistan’s responsible conduct, its par excellent military capabilities and commitment to the cause of regional and global peace that have placed it in the centre stage of the globe. Pakistan is a reality and its people are prepared to offer any sacrifice to defend the motherland.
