Malik Muhammad Ashraf
FOREIGN Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and DG ISPR in a joint press conference on last Saturday released a dossier on Indian state sponsorship of terrorism and destabilization in Pakistan also claiming that India has also established a cell operating under the direct supervision of Prime Minister Modi to sabotage CPEC. They also contended that India was providing arms and money to Taliban, Baloch rebels and Altaf Hussain Group to achiever her nefarious designs against Pakistan.
The dossier contained irrefutable audio and video evidence of Indian involvement in acts of terrorism in Pakistan. With the release of the dossier, Pakistan also appealed to the world community and UN to take notice of state terrorism by India not only in Pakistan but also in the India-occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IO&JK). How UN and the world community responds to this authenticated evidence of Indian sponsorship remains to be seen.
However as was expected the Indian Prime Minister after the release of the dossier alleged in a tweet that India had neutralized four Pakistani terrorists from Jaish-e-Muhammad and also captured a large cache of weapons and explosives. It was as rightly claimed by Ministry of Foreign Affairs a deliberate attempt by the Indian Prime Minister to divert the attention of the international community from the dossier that extensively documented India’s active planning, promoting, aiding, abetting, financing and execution of terrorist activities against Pakistan contending “Bland denials and regurgitation of old litany of charges by India will not change facts”.
As regards, opposition to CPEC India has made overt and covert attempts to thwart this project. Modi even took up this issue formerly with the Chinese President claiming that the project passed through a disputed territory, a claim which was readily dismissed by the Chinese leader. Shah Mehmood Qureshi during the presser revealed that India had so far allocated Rs.80 billion along with raising a militia of 700 persons to disrupt project.
In fact India and USA are both deadly opposed to the BRI initiative and its flagship project of CPEC. The opposition of USA to this epoch-making initiative by China is part of its ‘contain China’ policy’ and it is using India as its strategic partner to sabotage this project. For India, it also means hurting Pakistan.
Regrettably right from the beginning India has been making efforts to harm Pakistan and has a verified track record in this regard. The Modi government has however upped the ante. Its continued acts of state terrorism in IO&JK sponsorship of acts of terrorism in Pakistan as well as unabated daily firing along the LOC targeting civilians not only amply reflect her designs against Pakistan but also pose a grave threat to peace and security in the region.
India fails to realize that the role that it is playing in the contain China policy and its continued hostility towards Pakistan would ultimately jeopardize her own strategic interests along with putting at peril the security of the whole region. Its animosity towards her both nuclear neighbours was bound to have a boomerang effect. As far as disrupting or sabotaging CPEC is concerned it could be a dream of both India and USA but it would never be realized as both Pakistan and China are determined to make it a success.
Chinese Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Lijian stated the other day that any attempt to sabotage CPEC flagship project would not succeed and both China and Pakistan with the support of international community could work together to ensure its success. While answering a question about joint press conference by Shah Mehmood Qureshi and DG ISPR, he observed that China opposed all forms of terrorism and double standards on counter-terrorism. He commended Pakistan for its positive contribution to global counter-terrorism cause and said China fully supported Pakistan’s efforts towards counter-terrorism, safeguarding its territory and regional peace and security.
What the spokesman of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said constituted disapproval of India’s acts of state-terrorism, her double standards in regard as well as her abiding commitment to supporting efforts of Pakistan with regard to ensuring her territorial integrity and promoting peace and security in the region. The solidarity between the two iron-brothers on these issues provides an iron-clad guarantee against any subversive designs by India.
The US-India nexus to sabotage CPEC is actually adding to the instability in the region jeopardizing strategic interests of both of them. China has become unstoppable and as predicted by economist it will be the number one economic and military power by 2050. The way its economy has grown during the last three decades and continues on the same path testifies to the achievements of that status by China. The continued cooperation between USA and India to disrupt CPEC and BRI would ultimately also harm strategic interests of both these countries, more so India.
No matter how hard India tries it cannot harm strategic interests of Pakistan or carry out its contemplated destruction. It is not seventies. Pakistan is a nuclear power now and has the determination and capability to answer any aggressive designs of India as was manifestly proven by her in February 2019 when India committed the indiscretion of sending its planes to bomb imaginary terrorist camps at Balakot. India resorting to any adventure against Pakistan would be risking mutual destruction. As the adage goes, if wishes were horses the beggars would ride. It may have the wish but cannot harm Pakistan.
Indian leadership, therefore, needs serious rethinking. India is part of this region and its own security and economic progress is inextricably linked to it. By being part of US efforts to contain China and sabotaging CPEC it was also jeopardizing the chances of shared economic prosperity in the region.
