Reema Shaukat
WORLD is going through Covid-19 pandemic but apparently India seems stubborn in dealing with it by throwing venom of allegations on Pakistan like always. What to talk about Kashmir where Corona or non-Corona days are same since day one because of human rights violations by Indian forces, and till today there is no ease in their suffering. Seems like India is never going to come out of its war hysteria. Past few years are enough to expose Indian designs against Pakistan and since the beginning of 2019 when Modi wanted to restore his powers as PM of India, anti-Pakistan moves were initiated with full force. India had already launched campaign against Kashmiris to suppress their will and resistance against Indian unjust land occupation in the IoK. When the Articles 370 and 35-A were abrogated in IoK on the 5th of August, India never expected that it will be able to pull such long blackout in Kashmir and now with the fear of violence and resistance, it is using tactics to provoke Pakistan. One such step is Indian firing and shelling across the LoC, which India often carries to have face saving in front of its domestic audience and divert attention of world from Kashmir issue and blame Pakistan for dispute.
Since the beginning of year 2020, India has so far committed 989 ceasefire violations. It is important to note that in the year 2019 Indian Army committed over 3000 ceasefire violations across the LoC. While in year 2018, 58 civilians embraced martyrdom and 319 sustained injuries during Indian Army’s ceasefire violations numbering to 3038 in the year. This escalation in ceasefire violations by India is continuing from 2017, when the Indian forces committed more than 1970 ceasefire violation. Civilian populated areas along the LoC and Working Boundary have been constantly targeted by the Indian forces with artillery fire, heavy calibre mortars and automatic weapons. This deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws. Pakistan has cleared to India that it did not want a war with India but if imposed Pakistan would fight it in same way it did on 27 Feb 2019. Pakistan has always condemned dreadful targeting of innocent civilians by the Indian occupation forces and has always highlighted that such senseless acts are in clear violation of 2003 ceasefire understanding and are also against all established humanitarian norms and professional military conduct.
For the past few weeks, India is again involved in shelling across LoC and as usual Indian high officials have blamed Pakistan. Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Army Chief Gen MM Naravane and other officials purported Pakistan about the so-called “terrorist launch-pads” on the Pakistani side of the LoC and infiltration bids. While PM Imran Khan via Twitter said that he has been “warning the world about India’s continuing efforts to find a pretext for a false flag operation against Pakistan”. PM further mentioned that indigenous Kashmiri resistance against Indian occupation is a direct consequence of India’s oppression and brutalisation of the people. He also cautioned that the “fascist policies” of Indian premier Narendra Modi’s government were “fraught with serious risks”. He urged the world community to take action before India’s “reckless moves jeopardise peace and security” of the region. Apart from condemning the attack on LoC where Indian High Commissioner was summoned on India’s act, Foreign Office of Pakistan asked for the full-fledged investigations. In a statement, it was mentioned that Pakistan formally offers the United Nations to approach India for obtaining information of alleged launch pads and share the same with UNMOGIP, which will be welcomed to move into any area without sharing specifics with the Pakistan government to validate Indian claims. Earlier Indian Army Chief also gave a misleading statement by saying that India was busy “not only helping our own citizens but the rest of the world by sending medical teams and exporting medicines” during the Coronavirus crisis, Pakistan was only “exporting terror”. Pakistan strongly rejected this statement and mentioned that India has deliberately designed to divert global and domestic attention from India’s state-terrorism and gross human rights violations, and clinching of fundamental freedoms in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, particularly post August 5, 2019.
Finding no way out to deal with Covid-19 pandemic, India also accused Pakistan for sending infected people to Kashmir and India. One wonders how India finds way to blame Pakistan without any proof while covering its own security lapses. India out of its sheer frustration on Kashmir and being unable to deter resilience of innocent Kashmiris for their right of self-determination, uses any kind of weaponry to create fear among masses. People who are living across Line of Control, a de-facto border between India and Pakistan, are used to, of such ugly tactics by India to coerce Kashmir issue. With all such disturbance created by India along the LoC and kind of frustration prevailing in Indian Army it must be remembered that such blame game or any false flag operation is going to be disconcerting and embarrassing for India on all fronts. India had been the main hurdle to maintain regional peace and engage with its neighbour Pakistan by creating atmosphere of blame games, hostile statements and propaganda in order to malign Pakistan and serve its domestic agenda. Pakistan has never violated the ceasefire agreement and ceasefire violations have always been misreported by Indian media. Both India and Pakistan are nuclear armed neighbours and any further aggressive move by India will escalate tension where Kashmir is the nuclear flashpoint. While India has already witnessed state of the art capabilities of Pakistan after Pulwama adventure, it must not remain in any kind of confusion for Pakistan’s support to Kashmir cause on all fronts.
— The writer works for Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, a think-tank based in Islamabad.
