Decoding Pakistan’s new verbal assaults The Statesman 22 Dec 2020
Decoding Pakistan’s new verbal assaults 22 Dec 2020
SM Qureshi, Pakistan’s foreign minister addressing a press conference in Abu Dhabi, stated, ‘an important development has cropped up. I have learned through our intelligence forces that India is planning a surgical strike against Pakistan. This is a serious development and I also have knowledge that they tried to seek approval from important players who they consider to be their partners.’ He again attempted to link the globally rejected dossier by stating that Pakistan had revealed ‘India sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan’ through a dossier that it shared with the international community. These comments were later repeated by Imran Khan.
The question which remains unanswered is why Abu Dhabi was chosen to announce Pakistan’s intelligence gleamed information. Was it because Qureshi’s visit to UAE failed as it refused to lift the ban on Pakistan labourers as also was unwilling to support Pakistan financially. UAE officials stated two days later that the ban was temporary with no mention of when it would be lifted.
Around the same time, in an interview to ‘The Christian Monitor’, Pakistan’s ambassador to the US, Majeed Khan, stated Islamabad wants the US to help stop Indian interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs. He added, ‘we do not want our relationship with Washington to be India-specific,’ hinting that the US must recognize efforts of Pakistan in promoting peace in Afghanistan. He also raised the issue of the recent fake dossier raised by Pakistan on Indian interference in its internal matters. On this he stated, ‘(India) is trying to destabilise Pakistan’s economic cooperation with China by fomenting terrorist attacks against Chinese-financed development projects, including a deadly assault at a luxury hotel in Gwadar.’
In the same interview, James Dobbins, a former US special representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan projected the US view, stating, ‘We may see the US taking a little tougher stance toward India over its human rights record, but basically we’ll continue to court India as a counterweight to China,’ adding, ‘and overall, I don’t think we’ll see the Biden administration taking a very different approach to Pakistan than the Trump administration did.’ Evidently, Pakistan’s attempts to paint India as a villain is failing.
In another anti-India incident last weekend, Pakistan accused India of targeting a UN Military Observer vehicle. This was denied by India as it had prior information of the visit and there was no firing in the area. Pakistan stated that India ‘specifically targeted a UN vehicle carrying members of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan from across the Line of Control.’ It added, ‘Such illegal and unlawful acts against all established international norms, signify malintent of Indian Army to target not only innocent civilians residing along the LoC but UN Peacekeepers as well.’
Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson, Zahid Chaudhri, who covered the above fake news in his weekly briefing stated, ‘Pakistan urges the international community to advise India against any irresponsible act and to desist from any action that would jeopardise regional peace and stability.’
The UN representative in New York stated, ‘At this stage, we’re simply aware that a vehicle was hit by an unidentified object, no one was harmed, we are investigating the incident.’ This is not the first time that Pakistan has accused India of targeting UN Peacekeeping vehicles. It had done so in 2017 and 2018. In both cases the UN itself dismissed Pak’s claims on grounds that the incident had occurred but there was no proof that it was due to Indian firing.
These three announcements by Pak were near simultaneous and in not a single case did Pakistan present any concrete evidence to back its claims, other than repeating the story of its dossier which anyway contains no proof.
Why has Pakistan suddenly begun spreading a collection of fake news against India? Internally, the current government is facing intense pressure from a combined opposition and a rising Pashtun movement. Accusations on the army, for interfering in internal politics and corruption, continue to grow, with Nawaz leading the attack from the front. To add to this are growing cases of COVID, a failing medical system and an economy in ruins. The only way to offset the opposition, deflect growing internal pressure and back the army is by claiming India is planning a surgical strike. After all, India is an eternal enemy. To add credence to these claims, the army is supposedly placed on high alert.
The smooth conduct of District Development Council elections in J and K, with no calls for boycott nor incidents of terrorist violence, and active participation by locals, displays a failure of Pakistan’s Kashmir policy. There has been no support to the country even in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The officially released OIC statement on Kashmir, post the foreign ministers meeting in end Nov, was in vast contrast to what was claimed by Pakistan.
Diplomatic and economic pressure is mounting on Pakistan on account of its support to terrorist groups. Its known allies have backed away and are unwilling to support the country. It is being compelled to borrow from China at much higher rates of interest to repay loans of the Middle East nations. Oil on deferred payment has stopped adding to economic woes.
It is also hoping to enhance pressure on India as Indian retaliation along the LoC is causing havoc on its defences. Further, Indian exposure of Pakistan’s involvement in backing terrorism has been increasing. Pakistan has been attempting to sell its fake dossier in every country, hoping that someone may join Pakistan in support. This could then enable Pakistan to justify its actions in Kashmir as a quid pro quo and enable it to climb out of the FATF blacklist by accusing India. Thus far, apart from China and Turkey, not a single nation has stood by Pakistan.
Pakistan will continue inventing new charges against India, all without proof, in the desperate hope of offsetting internal mounting pressure on the establishment. Globally, it will continue crying wolf, hoping at some stage, it would receive support as the weaker neighbour of India.
About the Author
Maj Gen Harsha Kakkar
Retired Major General Indian Army