F Z Khan & Khurram Shahzad
Applying the general perception, regarding the arena of international relations,
that if countries with tensed relations pursue useful trade and confidence
building measures between them, it could help reduce tensions. Some countries
have improvised this formula but not much has been achieved and tensions
resurface.
India attempts the approach of mending way to become friend for only a short
span, but often turns hostile given its domestic consumption. Modi’s Hindu
extremist government however has heightened real tensions by directly and
indirectly, covertly and overtly fueling or funding acts of terror inside
Pakistan. India is brewing tensions of its own making, which are directly linked
to its occupation of Jammu & Kashmir, and now aimed at sabotaging CPEC project.
The second consecutive INR 2.74 trillion-hike of over 10% in its defence budget,
which excludes pensions compared to previous years, is an indicator of India’s
aggressive designs.
New Delhi accuses, falsely, Islamabad of having a hand in audacious attacks in
its territory without evidence. India has engaged in heavy firing along LoC and
working boundary that incurred heavy losses on its military establishments and
resulting in scores of deaths and injuries to its forces, on retaliation from
Pakistan side. In IHK, people began protesting after the killing of young Burhan
Wani. Tensions escalated into attacks on Indian army facilities by the freedom
fighters, which India unconscionably blamed on Pakistan.
India, time and again, intimidates Pakistan of so called Surgical Strikes what
it says it already conducted some months back, which Pakistan later proved to
the world that it was a drama stage managed and the international community as
well as eminent defence analysts acknowledged by saying that, given Pakistan’s
robust missile and defence system, India was not capable of conducting surgical
strikes against or inside Pakistan. India has also been maneuvering from
Pakistan’s western borders using the Afghan soil to conduct subversive acts
against the country.
In a recent development, Director-General Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR)
Major General Asif Ghafoor, while referring to Indian Army chief’s statement on
the much trumpeted Cold Start Doctrine and India's continuous violations of the
Line of Control and Working Boundary, reiterated that the armed forces and the
people of Pakistan are ready and fully capable of giving a befitting response to
any misadventure by the adversary. He said Pakistan wants a peaceful settlement
of all the outstanding issues but would not compromise on its respect and
dignity.
In his inaugural media briefing, the newly appointed military spokesman said
Pakistan would take all possible measures to strengthen the country’s defence.
He mentioned the successful test-firing of indigenously-developed Babar-III and
Ababeel missiles which, he observed, reflects Pakistan’s strong defence
capabilities. He said the armed forces were fully capable of giving a strong
response to Indian aggression whether it is the Cold Start or otherwise. He also
reaffirmed commitment of the armed forces to internal stability and
strengthening of the constitutional and democratic institutions and unity among
state organs of the country. He pointed out that in the past, India had been
denying its Cold Start Doctrine but recent statement of the Indian army chief
had proved Pakistan’s apprehensions as correct. “We reckon that India was
getting this capability and its intentions can change any time”, Gen Asif
Ghafoor maintained that “Pakistan’s desire for peace should not be misconstrued
as its weakness.” India is our neighbouring country, he said, and added “we do
not want war with any country as war is no solution of problems.”
Referring to frequent Indian ceasefire violations of LoC and Working Boundary,
he said it was an Indian tactic under a planned strategy to divert attention of
the Pakistani forces from war against terror. Pakistan Army is the only force in
the world which is fighting successfully from multiple fronts, adding that the
drama of surgical strikes was also part of this strategy.
Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor asserted that during the last four months, as many as 40
Indian soldiers had been killed as Pakistan gave a befitting response to India’s
firing on the civilian population while 46 Pakistan citizens were martyred. He
said security of the country depends on bravery, professionalism and patriotism
of the armed forces and strength of the constitutional and democratic
institutions. He pointed out that due to coordination between FC, provincial law
enforcement agencies and Army, the activities of terrorists enjoying backing of
Indian RAW and Afghan NDS in Balochistan were being checked in a much effective
and better way.
The DG ISPR said a total of 21,839 Pakistanis sacrificed their lives and 49,081
were injured for success of operations against terror since the year 2008 in
Swat, North Waziristan and other agencies. He maintained that IBOs and combing
operations would continue across the country till elimination of remaining
terrorists and their facilitators. Action against Indian spy Kulbhushan Yadev
would be taken as per law of the land, adding that dossier against him had also
been provided to the appropriate international forums, he affirmed.
India, for its part, had already unleashed its so-called ‘defensive offense’
policy against Pakis¬tan. Under the auspices of the Afghan intelligence
directorate, headed by a member of the Northern Alliance, with which India had
developed close relations during the civil war against Mullah Omar’s Taliban,
India set up bases (in the guise of consulates) close to the Pakistan-Afghan
border to sponsor and support the Balochistan Liberation Army. Not much has
appeared about India’s longer and wider role in clandestine warfare against its
neighbours particularly Pakistan.
A quick viewing of a Facebook video of a recent lecture delivered by Ajit Doval,
India’s ex-spymaster and now National Security Adviser, should set all doubts
about India’s clandestine wars at rest. Doval calls Pakistan the “enemy”; extols
Indian intelligence’s ability to compromise and infiltrate the Kashmir
insurgency; crows about the beheading of Pakistani soldiers by the TTP and
advocates a policy of “defensive offense” against Pakistan. In this context,
India’s several secret training camps are also present in Afghanistan from where
highly trained militants, equipped with sophisticated weapons including
motivated suicide bombers are being sent to Pakistan’s various places so as to
commit subversive acts regularly.
Some sources suggest that modern weapons of Indian origin are available in the
markets of Afghanistan. Smuggling of latest arms from west to Afghanistan is
also being supported by the drug mafia of Afghanistan with the support of RAW.
Additionally, Indian Army might be making the groups for launching another
operation of fake surgical strikes as the latest statement enunciates by its
Chief.
Nonetheless, the Modi government and its new army chief who are acting upon a
war mongering agenda by considering surgical strikes in Azad Kashmir or limited
war in Kashmir in wake of intermittent firing across the LoC by targeting the
villages of Azad Kashmir are badly mistaken, if they overestimate India’s power
and underestimates Pakistan’s power. Pakistan’s Armed Forces are fully prepared
to give a matching response to any such an attack by Indian forces. Pakistan
forces maybe ready to conduct a real strike on an opportune moment. (ENDS)
(1180 words)
(The writers are freelance columnists based in Islamabad)