ZAHEER BHATTI
EVERYtime onelistenstothe 8-year old Pakistani sen sationHadiyaHashmi’s heart rending crooning of Sufi Tabassum’s emotion-filled eternal verse ‘Aey puttar hattante nain wikday’it reminds all Pakistanis oftheinvaluable being ofthe Pakistani menin uniform andtheimmense sacrifices in blood they render in defending the motherland against evilmachinations of Pakistan’s avowed enemy India from across and into our borders. Tears cannot help rolling down listening to the songster, realizing we can never pay back what our defenders continue to render as these emblems of defiance and undeterred martyrdomindeed are not a commodity you can buy in the open market. But one is shamed to endure the kind and level of response from Pakistan’s politicalleadership offering nothingmorethanlip service to our valiantArmed Forces with which it claims to be on the same page, more significantly in succumbing to undue and uncalled for pressure at the international level from our so-called allies as well as the Islamic brotherhood and bringing to naught the sacrifices being rendered by defenders of motherland. The latest revelation was a news break over BBC late last week that the downed and captured Indian Pilot Abhi Nandan during last February’s encounter with India was released promptly by Pakistan after receiving threats initially emanating from India but mouth-pieced through the Saudi Government that it would not stand with Pakistan if it did not de-escalate by releasing the pilot forthwith. The news finds corroboration with Donald Trump responding to a questioner in Hanoi on the incident saying,” you will soon hear some good news” promptly after the swift retort by Pakistani Air Force to Indian abortive incursion into Pakistan’s side of Kashmir. Thiswasinstantly followed bythe Pakistani PrimeMinister announcing release and return ofthe Indian pilot; ostensibly as a goodwill gesture from the floor of the House of Parliament amid tailored applause, but criticized in the media by discerning analysts andthe general public besidesthe Opposition which opined that even if it were to be a goodwill gesture it should not have been made in undue haste. The British Broadcast newsbreak gains currency as it has not beenmet with a forceful rejoinder rejectingthe story and over-riding it with its own version for world consumption, which severely dents the Pakistani feat. Is it not ironical that instead of keeping your performance flag flying high among the comity of nations, you bruisethe pride of your defenders and bring to naught the performance of the Pakistani Air Force by bowing down to unsavoury pressures! Pakistan must harbour no illusions about strategic and concrete support either from its imperial ally deserting at critical moments, orthat ofitsMuslimlackeyslike SaudiArabia which has not upheld the religious bond in the manner the custodians of the House of God need to do in these moments of worldly tribulations. That the committed followers of the faith will be far and few, is a revelation made in the Holy Scriptures;more specifically and repeatedly reiteratedinthe Bible,Taura and the Holy Quran. Isolation, in a world given over to expediencies against the ever-watchful eye of the Providence, is nothing to fear or shy away from as after all it is not a bad deal if earned in pursuance of your true and dedicated resolve of upholding your sovereignty and integrity. Those few in the eternal world will stand alone as they do even in this temporary human abode. Mr. Prime Minister! Your call and desire to match Pakistan with the State of Medinaindeedis a noblethought, and onemust reject voices mocking at the idea by comparing it with your Government performance in a matter of months. But having said that, you certainly need to match your words with at least an unambiguous road-map which shows a modest but concrete beginning in that direction at home, and a fearless and uncompromising resolve and outlook in dealing with the outside world as do Turkey, Malaysia, Iran and North Korea whose leadership is recognized and known far more than any other developing nation, precisely on that count. Your claims not to fall foul in fighting other’s wars should not just mean refusal to act as mercenaries lending bases and strategic help to others, but also not to succumb to pressures such as those from Saudi Arabia which prevented you from attending the well-meaning moot in Malaysia meant to emancipate the world against Islam phobia, and pre-mature release ofthe downed Indian pilot. One must not get carried away by Donald Trump’s words of public praise on Indian soil for Pakistan’s positive role in combating terrorism which was largely aimed at ensuring Pakistani support over the crucial settlement with Afghan Taliban, the effect of which he promptly neutralized in his joint Statement with Modi endorsing his right to defend and respond to imaginary terrorist attacks and arming India to teeth against Pakistan and China. Such is the myopic duplicity of the USAssistant Secretary of StateAliceWells,that ratherthan announcing clamping of sanctions against India for undeterred trampling of fundamental human rights, pig-headed discriminatorytreatment and treachery against theMuslim majority in its occupiedterritory of Kashmir, and warningtheBJPGovernment over anti-Muslim Delhi outbreak of rioting caused by RSS sleuths concurrent to Donald Trump’s visit to India killing over a dozen andinjuring hundreds ofMuslims, desecrating mosques and setting their houses and properties on fire, she instead had the cheek to ask the hapless Muslim population on the receiving end, to show restraint. Pakistan as usual failed to forcefully react and condemn the orgy or bring it to the call attention notice oftheUN andtheworld community. Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei’s latest warning to India against continued massacre ofMuslims in India and Kashmir is an immutable example of shunning expediency and disregarding any pressure. —The writer is a media professional, member of Pioneering team of PTV and a veteran ex Director Programmes.
