MAJ stated that “Muslims who are opposing Pakistan will spend rest of their lives proving loyalty to India”.
Almost 80 years later, a loyal and patriotic Indian army Col Sofia, serving as official spokesperson of Indian army has become a subject of hate inspired viscous attack by a BJP minister of Madhya Pradesh.
It is this hate inspired Hindutva ideology which is destroying India from within.
One thing must be very clear, that Pakistan’s pollical leadership in post 1971 era, embarked on acquiring Nuclear Capability, to serve as a deterrence and a weapon of last resort.
India’s ambitious plans, after a nuclear test in 1974 at Pokhran, left us with no other option, but to acquire this capability, despite our poor economic conditions and set-backs.
In the unlikely even of a nuclear war between India and Pakistan, the Nuclear Winter Cloud, would spread beyond the subcontinent, to rest of the world, within two to three weeks.
These two nuclear neighbors, need to reflect on cyclic recurrence of hostilities and learn to coexist in relative peace, instead of this belligerency and constant state of confrontation.
India must realize that it takes two to tango.
It has to accept creation of Pakistan without any reservations and desires of regional hegemony, based on Hindutva ideology.
They should stop financing acts of terrorism in KPK and Baluchistan, and we should embark on similar steps across.
There was no space for certain personalities in Jinnah’s Pakistan.
Those who have any doubts, should view archive footage of the welcome given by self-assumed FM to PM Jawaharlal Nehru’s on his arrival in Karachi on 19September 1960.
Unlike the established protocol of displaying flags of both countries, at the airport, there was an Indian flag, but instead of our national flag, it was an emblem of FM on display.
I would rather restrain from going into details of other unprecedented and embarrassing modes adopted by any sovereign state, except in the colonial era during British Raj, reserved for HM and other royals etc.
The humilia-tion and harassment inflicted on likes of Madre Millat Fatima Jinnah, Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy etc.
, are indicative of the mindset of the junta at helm from 1958 onwards.
MAJ stated that Kashmir is the jugular vein of Pakistan, based on shared bonds of Muslim religious majority, which was the principle of demarcation of boundaries.
In addition to natural geographical and demographic factors, the waters that flow from Tibetan Plateau, controlled by China, flow through sheer gravitational force to IOK, all the way to Pakistan.
This water is essential for existence of Pakistan’s agricultural food supply chain and needs of humans and all other forms of natural habitat including animals, trees etc.
In 1962 during the Sino Indian conflict, it was the golden chance to liberate IOK, and let the Kashmiri citizens decide their own fact in accordance with UN charter and its resolutions.
Unfortunately, instead of national interest, the greed motivated self-interest of the 58 Junta prevailed.
India on the other had opportunity to win hearts and minds of the Kashmiris.
Instead, it chose to indulge in state sponsored repression and hurting their dignity and self-respect.
All these factors, are grounds for breeding resistance movements by disgruntled angry young men and women, driven to desperation.
The Pahalgam incident seems to be result of expression of resentment and outburst of the anger within the local residents, or else it is a false flag operation, given the fact that the site where the unfortunate incident occurred is deep inside IOK, almost over 240KM away from LOC.
Kashmir dispute must be resolved, and to begin with, Article 370 must be withdrawn and people of IOK allowed to live in dignity and honor.
Let the people of Kashmir decide their fate and destiny.
India should have unequivocally condemned the horrific Jaffar Express terrorism, which was an act of terrorism, financed by external elements.
The Indian NSA Ajit Doval, is on record about his views promoting BLA insurgency and similar acts across our borders in KPK.
Indian national interest has not been served by changing status of IOK.
Instead, shared strategic interests, have brought China and Pakistan closer.
India has confronted two of its nuclear neighbors, China is far more powerful than India, economically, militarily and technologically, while the other is Pakistan.
All three are declared nuclear states.
Pakistan unequivocally condemned Pahalgam act of terrorism in IOK.
However we need to crackdown on all extremist groups including the sectarian elements and those involved in attacks against our Christian brethren, who have always been in the forefront defending their motherland.
We as nation, must adopt Jinnah’s vision of a modern democratic welfare state for all citizens, irrespective of their faith or ethnicity.
There was absolutely no sense or logic in making SAARC redundant by Modi government, or politicising sports.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Lahore.
