REACTING promptly and sharply, Pakistan on Wednesday took a strong exception to a baseless statement of the Indian Army chief in which he called Pakistan as the epicentre of terrorism and said the remarks were an attempt to deflect the world’s attention from India’s brutality in Occupied Kashmir, repression of minorities internally and India’s transnational repression. In their statements, the ISPR and Foreign Office referred to numerous instances of state-sponsored terrorism by India telling New Delhi to introspect and address its own documented involvement in orchestrating targeted assassinations, acts of subversion and state-sponsored terrorism in foreign territories.
In the information age, India cannot hide its ugly face behind false accusations against Pakistan, which has a track record of launching a multi-dimensional war against all sorts of terrorism. Apart from the worst kind of repression against minorities, especially Muslims, there is documented evidence of India’s involvement in acts of terrorism in neighbouring countries and beyond. The Indian Army Chief has easily ignored that Pakistan provided comprehensive dossiers to the world community and the United Nations of New Delhi’s blatant involvement in acts of terror and sabotage in Pakistan. As pointed out by the ISPR, a senior serving Indian military officer is in Pakistan’s custody, caught red-handed while orchestrating acts of terror against innocent civilians inside Pakistan. As for Occupied Kashmir, India has tried all the tools at its disposal including imposition of black laws, custodial killings, genocide, gang rapes, economic exploitation and measures to change demography of the region in an attempt to consolidate its illegal occupation of the territory and suppress the legitimate demands of Kashmiris for their right of self-determination. However, all these tactics proved counterproductive and instead strengthened the resolve of Kashmiris to continue their struggle till realization of their fundamental rights. India is, therefore, trying to malign Kashmiris, their struggle and also cast aspersions on Pakistan by dubbing the legitimate freedom struggle as terrorism. Kashmiris are waging a struggle for a right that has been pledged to them by the UN Security Council. Indian Army Chief has also forgotten terrorist operations of the RAW in countries like Canada and the United States where their nationals were targeted, prompting diplomatic rows with these countries. India cannot befool the international community and, therefore, instead of orchestrating baseless propaganda against Pakistan and Kashmiris, it should stop atrocities against Kashmiris and allow them to decide their future in accordance with the UN resolutions.
