Reema Shaukat
IT seems that 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-swing. 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 on 5 August, India never expected that it will be able to pull such long curfew 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.
Recently, Indian Army Chief Bipin Rawat claimed that Indian Army used larger-round artillery fire to hit terrorist camps across the border,while the Indian defence spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said that there was an unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistan. Our troops retaliated strongly, causing heavy damage and casualties to the enemy”. Pakistan responded timely to Indian allegations and DG ISPR mentioned, “Indian COAS’ statement claiming destruction of 3 alleged camps in AJK is disappointing as he holds a very responsible appointment. There are no camps let alone targeting those. Indian Embassy in Pakistan is welcome to take any foreign diplomat/media to ‘prove’ it on ground.” DG ISPR further said: “The propensity of false claims by senior Indian military leadership especially since Pulwama incident is detrimental to peace in the region. Such false claims by Indian Army are being made to suit vested domestic interests. This is against professional military ethos.” Foreign Office Spokesperson said that Indians have no grounds to support false claim made by their COAS. If they don’t want to go they have the option to share claimed targeted locations with our Foreign Office. We will take foreign diplomats and media to those given locations. Let all see facts on ground.
To prove Indian so called hitting the camps false, Pakistan took a team of diplomatic corps to the Neelum Valley in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) along the Line of Control to witness firsthand if Indian Army had “smashed four terror launch pads”. The diplomatic corps was flown to Jura sector to inspect the damage caused by the unprovoked Indian firing. According to diplomatic sources, invitations were extended to Heads of Missions of all embassies in Islamabad whereas the Indian Consulate did not respond to invitation nor anyone from embassy made visit to the LoC. The Foreign Office had extended an invitation to India’s Charge d’ Affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia to prove the claim of Indian army’s chief of hitting terrorists’ camps inside Pakistan, however, no official from the Indian High Commission arrived to visit the LoC situation.
The diplomats were taken to different sectors near the LoC as well as the nearby villages, which have suffered severe damage in attacks by Indian troops. The foreign diplomats and the media were shown the pieces of the shells fired by the Indian artillery. Indian forces have been targeting the civilian population along the Line of Control (LoC) with heavy artillery. The diplomats and the media with their own eyes reviewed the Indian violations and provocations. This step has been made to expose Indian Army Chief’s claim and exposing India’s pack of lies that it had hit terrorist camps inside Pakistan. DG ISPR while briefing diplomats at LoC asserted that Pakistan has not hidden any facts on ground and asked if India could allow international media to visit LoC and analyse reality. It is important to note that this year Indian Army has committed 2608 ceasefire violations across the LoC, martyring 44 people and injuring 230 others. While in the 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 Indian forces committed more than 1970 ceasefire violations. Civilian populated areas along LoC and Working Boundary have been constantly targeted by 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 made it clear to India that it did not want war with India but if imposed Pakistan would fight it in same way as it did on 27 Feb.
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 defacto 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 LoC and kind of frustrations prevailing in Indian army it must remember that such blame game is going to be disconcerting and embarrassing for India on all fronts. India had been the main hurdle to maintain regional peace and engages 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.
