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Archive for category Pakistan Army War on Terror

The attack on the Chinese Consulate: Main Target is Pak-China CPEC Project By Sajjad Shaukat

INDIAN INTELLIGENCE AGENCY 

RAW TERRORISM IN PAKISTAN

Background Reading

KARACHI – Indian intelligence RAW is alleged to be behind the terrorist attack on Chinese consulate in Karachi.

Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) In-Charge Raja Umar Khattab on Saturday said Indian intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), was behind the attack on Chinese consulate in Karachi.

“Such an attack could not be executed without reconnaissance. An investigation is underway to find out from where the terrorists arrived,” he said while talking to media.

Umar Khattab said the presence of commander of the proscribed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) Aslam alias Acchu in India was being investigated.

The BLA had claimed responsibility of the attack on the Chinese consulate and Aslam was the mastermind behind it. Aslam is currently being treated at Max Hospital in New Delhi. He had fled to India immediately after being injured in an operation by the Pakistani forces in Balochistan’s Sibi district.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The attack on the Chinese Consulate: Main Target is Pak-China CPEC Project

By Sajjad Shaukat

 

Pakistan’s security forces successfully foiled an attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi on November 23, this year.

 

In the exchange of firing, two policemen were martyred, including two civilians, as three gunmen tried to enter the consulate around 9:30 am but were intercepted by security guards at a checkpoint.

 

Karachi Police Chief Dr Amir Shaikh said, “Three suspected suicide bombers were killed before they were able to enter the facility as forces successfully foiled the attack…They could not even get in the compound. They tried to get into the visa section…The men came to the consulate in a car which was loaded with explosives.”

 

The clearance operation was initially led by a female Police Officer Assistant Superintendent of Police Suhai Talpur. Her courage has been greatly appreciated by the top officials of Pakistan.

 

On the same day, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said, “All staff members of the Chinese consulate remained safe in the attack…It was a cowardly attempt by terrorists.”

 

The Director-General of the Inter-Services Publication Directorate (ISPR), Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor also confirmed by saying, “Terrorists attempted to enter Chinese consulate. Rangers and police have got control. Three terrorists killed. All Chinese are safe”. He also stated, “Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa expressed grief at the martyrdom of two policemen in the attempted attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi’s Clifton area, hailing their sacrifice for the greater cause of protecting the citizens.”

 

While ordering an immediate inquiry regarding the assault on the Chinese consulate in Karachi, Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the attack, terming it as a conspiracy against Pak-China economic and strategic relations. He stated, “The elements and motives behind this attack should be uncovered…the nation is proud of the prompt action of the Rangers and police…who were martyred foiling the attack.”

 

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry condemned the assault on the Chinese consulate in Karachi and labelled it a “conspiracy”, targeting Pakistan-China socioeconomic and strategic ties.” He added, “Such incidents cannot hinder the friendship between the two neighbours.”

 

Almost all the leaders of the mainstream political and religious parties condemned the foiled assault on the Chinese consulate in Karachi and hailed the role of the security forces in this respect.

 

Besides, the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Ambassador Geng Shuang stated on the same day of the incident, “China strongly condemned the attack on its consulate in Karachi all consular staff and their families were safe following the shooting…We highly appreciate the efforts of the Pakistani side…The Chinese embassy in Pakistan has extended condolences over the martyrdom of two Pakistani policemen and said any attempt to undermine China-Pakistan friendship is doomed to fail…the attack would not affect Beijing’s commitment to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which seeks to connect its western province Xinjiang with the Arabian Sea port of Gwadar, in Balochistan….China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic partners.”

 

It is notable that a separatist group of the Balochistan province, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility of the failed terror attempt on the Chinese consulate in Karachi through a tweet.  However, such claims of responsibility have no material value because all such anti-state elements always try to score numbers when an incident like this occurs.

 

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s media and reliable sources disclosed that mastermind of the terrorist attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi—Aslam alias Achu is a commander of BLA and is currently receiving medical treatment at Max Hospital in the Indian capital New Delhi.

 

Undoubtedly, it shows the connections of the Indian secret agency RAW in relation to the failed attempt at the Chinese consulate of Karachi.

 

In another terror-related incident, on the same day, at least 35 people were killed and 50 wounded in a blast in Kalaya area of lower Orakzai district in Hangu.

 

It is significant that armed forces of Pakistan have successfully broken the backbone of the foreign-backed terrorists by the successful military operations Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-ul-Fasaad which have also been extended to other parts of the country, including Balochistan. And Pakistan’s primary intelligence agency, ISI has broken the network of these terrorist groups by capturing several militants, while thwarting several terror attempts. But, in the recent past and during the election-campaign of 2019, blasts in Balochistan and other regions of the country, including the latest ones in Hangu and especially at the Chinese consulate in Karachi show that the US-led India, Afghanistan and Israel have again started acts of sabotage especially to destabilize Pakistan and to damage the CPEC which is their main target— particularly of India and America.  

 

Notably, the assassination of religious clear Maulana Samiul Haq, known as the “Father of the Taliban” on November 2, this year in Islamabad was part of the same scheme to weaken Pakistan, also since Pakistan is the only nuclear country in the Islamic World.

 

It is mentionable that during the successful four-day visit of Premier Khan to China, Beijing on November 2, 2018, reportedly agreed to provide USD 6 billion in aid to cash-strapped Pakistan to minimise its dependence on an IMF bailout package. A loan of USD 1.5 billion is also expected to be offered, along with an additional package of USD three billion for CPEC. The loan and the investments were reportedly part of the USD six billion packages. According to the joint statement, released on November 4, 2018, the two sides also signed fifteen Agreements/MoUs on a range of bilateral issues.

Pakistan and China also agreed to trade in their local currencies in an effort to reduce dependence on the US dollar. Particularly, Pakistan will save more than 12 billion dollars annually by importing goods in its local currency.

 

It is noteworthy that it is the first time in the history of Pakistan that on November 20, 2018, the government led by P.M Imran Khan refused to accept tough conditions laid down by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a financial bailout package. Besides, other tough conditions such as a further increase in power tariffs, the imposition of more taxes and so on, especially, the condition of sharing details related to Chinese financial assistance was also rejected. In fact, IMF is controlled by America, which has always imposed tough conditions to release loans in order to further destabilize Pakistan by targeting the general masses.  

 

It is also of particular attention that India was openly opposing the CPEC and China’s One Belt, One Road (OBOR) or BRI; the US also joined New Delhi. In this context, on October 3, 2017, US Defence Secretary James Mattis told the Lawmakers, “The United States has reiterated its support for India’s opposition to China’s One Belt, One Road initiative…the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) a part of which traverses Pakistan-Kashmir.”

 

Islamabad strongly dismissed the statement from the American defence chief that the multibillion-dollar road and rail network “CPEC which is part of China’s One Belt, One Road initiative, passes through a disputed territory of Kashmir”, urging “the international community to focus on blatant human rights violations and heinous crimes committed by Indian occupation forces in the Indian Occupied Kashmir” (IOK), and reminded the US that Washington had also participated in an OBOR summit.

 

Earlier, a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry also dismissed Mattis’ statement, saying that the OBOR plan was backed by the United Nations and that CPEC was an economic cooperation initiative.

 

In this regard, repeated threats of the US President Donald Trump and top American officials to Islamabad and other moves like suspension of latter’s aid were part of the same scheme to thwart the CPEC.

 

The fact is that Indian lobbies which are well-penetrated in the US administration and Europe, research centres, think tanks and so-called human rights groups utilize the media tools in defaming Pakistan internationally. Especially, Indian RAW is availing the opportunity of the US-led organized propaganda campaign against Pakistan. Now, CPEC is a special target of these hostile entities.

 

The reality is that when Gwadar seaport becomes fully operational, it would connect the landlocked Central Asian states with the rest of the world. Being the commercial hub, the port is likely to increase the volume of trade, bringing multiple economic and financial benefits to Pakistan like the Suez Canal which changed the destiny of Egypt when Israel returned it to the former. It will enable high-volume cargo vessels to move in the major oceans. Gwadar project which is the backbone of the CPEC will uplift the impoverished people of Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan, including developments in other provinces by providing thousands of employment opportunities, particularly to the less developed areas by redressing their grievances. The resulting prosperity in Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan would damp the separatist sentiments of the people, which the hostile elements, supported by the US, India and Israeli do not want. Therefore, these entities and their media describe the CPEC in negative terms.

 

As a matter of fact, since the occupation of Afghanistan by the US-led NATO forces, the country has become the centre of CIA, RAW and Israeli Mossad which are in connivance to obtain the Create in our bonds of genuine friendship, where we can uphold each other’s rights and stand up for justice, even if we are to be witnesses against ourselves, against our children, and against our parents. Let not nationalism of one nation be the cause of injustice to any nation. Give us the courage to stand up for righteousness with the people who are rich and powerful and who possess compassionate and loving hearts to work for the poor, the destitute, the hungry, and the homeless of not only this country but of any country in any part of this world. Give us family values and a sense of responsibility to fight the crimes and drug abuse that are harming our youths and neighbourhoods.cover designs of their countries and some Western countries against Russia, China, Pakistan and Iran. Under the cover of fighting terrorism, these foreign agencies which are also in collaboration with the Afghan intelligence agency National Directorate of Security (NDS), support the militants of ISIS and Afghanistan-based Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), including their linked outfits which have been conducting terror-assaults in Afghanistan and Pakistan as part of the secret strategy of the US-led countries. Besides, these terrorist outfits are weakening Tibetan regions of China and Iranian Sistan-Baluchistan through subversive activities.

 

Notably, on March 24, 2016, Pakistan’s security forces disclosed that they arrested the serving agent of RAW in Balochistan. During investigation and in a video, shown on Pakistan’s TV channels, RAW agent Kulbhushan Yadav confessed that “he was the agent of RAW” and “during his stay, he contacted various Baloch separatist leaders and insurgents, including Dr Allah Nazar Baloch, to execute the task to damage the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor” project. Yadav admitted that he spied for India and was “assigned with the task to create unrest in Karachi and Balochistan.”

 

Nevertheless, one must evoke as to who could be the prime beneficiary of such an action against the Chinese in Pakistan. These are those elements who do not want to see Pakistan– China cooperation which has put the country on the road to progress.

 

In this connection, P.M. Imran Khan’s very successful visit to China and the advancements in the CPEC are of great distress and discomfort for those who do not want to see such initiatives, taking place between the two countries. In simple words, this attack at the Chinese consulate was an attack on the CPEC and Pak-China friendship.

 

It is worth mentioning that Karachi, the financial capital of Pakistan, reportedly has a number of sleeping cells being operated by RAW, NDS and other hostile intelligence agencies. It is evident that the terrorist was part of these sleeping cells. Pakistan’s investigation units and intelligence agencies have already pointed out that such cells are being operated by RAW, NDS and other hostile agencies in Karachi.

 

In the recent years, these anti-Pakistan secret agencies have been conducting frequent attacks on the Pakistani forces and Chinese manpower working in Pakistan as well as on projects being completed under CPEC is going to change the fate of the people of this region especially Pakistan.

 

China and the US are pitched against each other on a trade war. Asia and especially this region, is the economic future of the world, have gained the attention of the world powers. This is the reason, why America has been spending billions of dollars just to stay in Afghanistan, despite the tremendous reverses being faced by the Americans. This interest goes to the extent where the US is now ready to even negotiate with their biggest adversary, the Taliban, just to maintain their presence in Afghanistan under the nose of China and Pakistan.

 

India being the collation partner of the US has opened 22 consulates in Afghanistan to counter the economic prosperity of Pakistan and CPEC and for working hands in glove with the NDS to generate unrest in Pakistan through sabotage and terrorism.

 

It means that being the future economic hub, this region; particularly Pakistan could face more terrorism-related events in the coming days. So, it is in their collective interests that both Islamabad and Beijing should remain focused on their economic goals and remain steadfast to meet similar future challenges.  

 

Again, it is pointed out that initial operation at the Chinese consulate was led by a female Police Officer ASP Suhai Talpur, which proves that Pakistani girls and women folks are on the forefront to defeat evil designs of CIA-RAW-NDS nexus.

 

Related image

 

Police Officer ASP Suhai Talpur

-who led the operation against Indian RAW trained ISIS terrorists, infiltrated from Afghanistan in Sindh

 

We can conclude that the CPEC is the main target of the foiled attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi.

 

Note: I have updated my similar article.

 

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is the author of the book: the US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations

 

Email: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com

 

 

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Indian Fake Boat Incident by  Sajjad Shaukat  

      Indian Fake Boat Incident

by

 Sajjad Shaukat

 

On December 31, 2014, Indian security agencies orchestrated a terror-related fake boat drama to defame Pakistan in the world. In this regard, Indian media and high officials unfolded the drama on the New Year’s eve by allegedly reporting that a Pakistani fishing boat as a Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was intercepted by Indian Coast Guards, some 356 km. off the coast of Porbandar, Gujarat. Taking a new twist which overturned Indian aspersions in accusing Pakistan, the Indian government had claimed that it had foiled another 26/11-type attack of Mumbai. 

 

As per Indian Coast Guard IG, K R Nautiyal, an operation was undertaken on a precise intelligence tip and boat was ordered to stop, but it did not comply and sped away. Propagating that Pakistani terrorists had been apprehended by the Indian Coast Guard on the high seas and, after a long chase, when warning shots had been fired, the ‘terrorists’ had blown themselves up.

 

Indian Coast Guard officials stated that nobody or debris was found due to bad weather. Moreover, it was also stated that search was on for another boat which they fear was in communication with the capsized boat. 

 

The Pakistani media said that the Indian media was playing up the incident without establishing proper links to terrorism. The incident was strongly rejected by Pakistan’s Foreign Office Spokesperson Tasnim Aslam, terming it as mere propaganda aimed at tarnishing Pakistan’s image. She elaborated, “Pakistan expects India to conduct a transparent probe to ascertain the facts of the boat incident while highlighting that its own investigation had shown that there was no sound evidence to substantiate India’s assertions. On the so-called terror boat incident, India has not approached Pakistan through diplomatic channels.” 

 

However, the boat incident had also stirred a controversy within India itself. Indian National Congress had stated that it has doubts on government’s version of Porbandar incident. The ruling party BJP in response had stated that Congress was lending credence to Pakistani stance. In this regard, hitting at Congress, BJP President Amit Shah asked the opposition party, whether it was fighting elections in India or Pakistan.

 

It is notable that 48 hours after the incident, the Indian officials had started portraying another version by suggesting that the boat which had left Keti Bandar, Karachi might have belonged to small-time smugglers. 

 

And it was not possible that 30 HP boat could run four state of the art Indian Coast Guard ships. The media clips showed only fire damage to the boat, whereas, in case of an explosion, as suggested by the Indians, a complete boat which was small in size, would have torn to pieces.

 

Indian officials said that wreckage and dead bodies could not be recovered due to bad weather, whereas, open source met data forecasted fair weather. The argument is supplemented by the fact that small boats do not operate in deep open waters unless the weather is clear.

Meanwhile, despite the insistence of Islamabad, no solid proof was provided by Indian authorities about the incident, and no inquiry reports were shared with local and international media. Hence, Pakistan launched a strong diplomatic protest at UNO, demanding impartial inquiry which could expose Indian fabricated story regarding the Boat episode. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nevertheless, we cannot see the event in isolation. The aim of that stereotype Indian orchestrated boat drama was to create an aura against Pakistan prior to US President Barrack Obama’s visit (25-27 Jan. 2015) to India and put pressure on Pakistan government on Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi’s bail issue and allege LeT as an organization, posing regional threats. Prior to Obama’s visit, Indian propaganda was also part of overall plan to malign Pakistan of sponsoring terrorist activities in India. New Delhi, for the last few months, was propagating conduct of terrorist activities by LeT inside India.

 

It is noteworthy that on December 13, 2001, Indian parliament was attacked by five terrorists. Without any evidence, Indian top officials and TV channels started a blame game against Pakistan by involving the banned Lashkar-e-Tayba and Pakistan’s primary intelligence agency ISI in relation to the parliament assault.

 

While, regarding the November 26 Mumbai terror attacks, Indian rulers and media had again started a blame game against Pakistan, propagating that Indian Mujahideen, the banned Lashkar-e-Tayba and ISI were behind the Mumbai carnage. 

 

Availing the pretext of the parliament attack and Mumbai catastrophe, New Delhi had, twice, suspended the process of dialogue with Islamabad in wake of its highly provocative actions like the mobilization of troops. Pakistan had also taken defensive steps to meet any Indian prospective aggression or surgical strikes. But, India failed in implementing its aggressive plans, because Pakistan also possesses atomic weapons.

 

It is of particular attention that on July 19, 2013, the Indian former home ministry and ex-investigating officer Satish Verma revealed that terror-attacks in Mumbai in November 26, 2008, and assault on Indian Parliament in December 13, 2001, were carried out by the Indian government to strengthen anti-terrorism laws.

 

It has clearly proved that Indian secret agencies; particularly RAW arranged coordinated terror attacks on the Indian parliament and in Mumbai and orchestrated those dramas only to defame Pakistan in the world, but also to fulfil a number of other aims.

 

It is mentionable that during the talks between the prime ministers of India and Pakistan, at Ufa, Islamabad had conveyed to New Delhi a comprehensive agenda to discuss all outstanding issues, including Kashmir as well as terrorism. But, New Delhi’s insistence to restrict the agenda for the dialogue to terrorism or cross-border terrorism only, demonstrated India’s confused policy towards Pakistan.

 

Indian foreign secretary-level talks were held in Islamabad on March 3, 2015. In this connection, Indian External Affairs Secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Pakistani Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry discussed contentious issues including Jammu and Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek and other bilateral issues. While, in 2014, India postponed the Secretary-level talks with Pakistan; under the pretext that during his Indian visit Sartaj Aziz met Kashmiri leaders.

In fact, a lack of seriousness on India’s part to settle all disputes, especially Kashmir issue has compelled New Delhi to follow a self-contradictory and confused strategy towards Islamabad. Hence, New Delhi earnestly found various pretexts like the parliament attack and Mumbai mayhem to cancel peace talks.

 

Particularly, on May 27, 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Nawaz Shariff in the oath-taking ceremony proved faultless, because Modi raised baseless issues like terrorism as pre-condition to advance the Pak-Indian dialogue. He said that slow pace of trial against the terrorists of the Mumbai 26/11 terror case; being held in Pakistan is the main hurdle.

 

As regards the case of cross-border terrorism, India has shown ambivalent approach which can be judged from various recent developments. In this respect, on July 27, 2015, three gunmen dressed in army uniforms killed at least seven people, including three civilians and four policemen in the Indian district of Gurdaspur, Punjab.

 

Without any investigation, Indian high officials and media began accusing Pakistan, its banned militant outfits and intelligence agencies of the Gurdaspur incident. Indian Police remarked that the attackers are from Indian-held Kashmir, and some said that they were Sikh separatists, while Indian Punjab police chief claimed that the three gunmen were Muslim, but as yet unidentified. Contradicting speculations, India’s Home Minister Rajnath Singh told parliament that the gunmen came from Pakistan.

 

Khalistan Movement Chief Manmohan Singh stated that the Gurdaspur incident is “a conspiracy of Indian secret agency RAW to defame Pakistan.”

 

However, continuing false flag operations, on Setember18, 2016, India also staged the drama of the terror attack in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) at a military base in Uri, close to the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan.

 

Like the previous terrorism-related events, without any investigation, Indian media, civil and military high officials started blaming LeT and ISI, saying that the militants who target the Uri base came from Pakistan’s side of Azad Kashmir. In this respect, a senior Home Ministry official and a spokesman of the Indian army allegedly said, “It is clearly a case of cross-border terror attack…the militants infiltrated across the Line of Control from Pakistan before attacking the base in Uri.”

 

The situation developed in the aftermath of the Uri base terror assault like creation of Indian war hysteria against Pakistan, mobilization of troops near the LoC, exposure of the myth of Indian surgical strikes inside Azad Kashmir, differences between Indian Prime Minister Modi and Country’s Army Chief Gen. Dalbir Sing about the ‘fake video’ of this episode, criticism Modi government inside India, continuous violations at the LoC, targeting villages of Azad Kashmir etc., and diversion of attention from the new phase of uprising in the Indian held Kashmir where Indian security forces have martyred more than 300 innocent Kashmiris since July 8, 2016, who have been protesting against the martyrdom of the young Kashmir leader Burhan Wani by the Indian security forces in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) in wake of continued sieges and prolonged curfews have clearly proved that with the help of Indian intelligence agencies, especially RAW, India has itself arranged the Uri base assault not only to defame Pakistan abroad but also to achieve a number of sinister designs.

 

Nonetheless, all these terror attacks were planned by Indian security agencies to distort the image of Pakistan and its primary intelligence agency, ISI, linking it with the banned group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

 

India intends to obtain various hidden purposes by blaming Islamabad for terrorism. First of all, it wants to divert the attention of the international community from the involvement of RAW which has well-established its network in Afghanistan, and is fully assisting cross-border incursions and terror-activities in various regions of Pakistan through Baloch separatist elements, Jundullah, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamic State group (Also known as Daesh, ISIS and ISIL) including their affiliated outfits. On a number of occasions, these insurgent groups claimed responsibility for their acts of sabotage.

 

With the backing of American CIA and Israeli Mossad, New Delhi is also trying to sabotage the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Recent terror attacks in various regions of Pakistan and particularly in the Balochistan province might be noted as an instance. Indian RAW has also created a heavily funded China-Pakistan and Afghanistan specific desk to target growing Pak-China-Afghanistan relations.

 

Notably, Islamabad has raised the question of Indian cross-border terrorism and RAW involvement in Pakistan at the UNO forum, with strong evidence which was also shown to the US.

 

As a matter of fact, on the basis of anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan slogans, BJP got a land sliding victory in the Indian elections 2014. Hence, Prime Minister Modi is giving impetus to Hindu chauvinism against Pakistan and the Muslims, while implementing the agenda of Hindutva (Hindu nationalism). Under Modi rule, extremists Hindu fundamentalist outfits have intensified assaults on the Muslims and Pakistani artists, famous literary persons—members of the cricket boards etc., and even on moderate Hindus.

 

Renowned thinkers, Hobbes, Machiavelli and Morgenthau opine that sometimes, rulers act upon immoral activities like deceit, fraud and falsehood to fulfil their countries’ selfish aims. But such a sinister politics was replaced by new trends such as fair-dealings, reconciliation and economic development. Regrettably, India is still following past politics in the modern era. 

 

It is established fact that as part of an anti-Pakistan move, the BJP-led government which is continuously manipulating the double standards of the US-led Western countries in relation to New Delhi and Islamabad arranged fake boat drama to not only to defame Pakistan in the world but also to obtain Indian sinister designs against Pakistan.

 

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: The US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations

 

Email: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com

 

 

 

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Pakistan’s Foreign Policy and Current Challenges By Asif Haroon Raja

Pakistan’s Foreign Policy and Current Challenges

Asif Haroon Raja

Overview

Pakistan has, since birth, been faced with one crisis after another. The tense geopolitical environment created by hostile India and unfriendly Afghanistan was the motivating factor which impelled our leaders to accord preference to security over developing institutions and strengthening the economy. Security concerns governed our foreign policy.

Pakistan joined Western pacts mainly to find an umbrella to mitigate its security concerns. But the US never became a trustworthy and sincere ally, as was the case of former the Soviet Union with India. The western pacts proved elusive when Pakistan was truncated in 1971.

India had been working upon East Bengal since 1948 with the aim of subverting the minds of Bengalis and poisoning their minds against people of West Pakistan through an orchestrated subversion plan. It wanted to disprove Two-Nation theory. India in collusion with the former-the Soviet Union and supported by several other countries hatched the gory plan of the dismemberment of Pakistan. After nine months insurgency, Indian military jumped in to cut Pakistan to size and create Bangladesh. Indira Gandhi chortled that Two-Nation theory had been sunk into the Bay of Bengal.

In the aftermath of 9/11, another international conspiracy was hatched to dismember Pakistan. This time the conspiracy was much larger in scope and more dangerous in intent. Pakistan was to be befriended and then cut into four quasi-states. In this, India is being supported by USA, Afghanistan, Britain, Israel and the West in general. The tools in use are TTP, BLA, BRA, BLF, MQM and segment of media bolstered by bloggers, foreign paid NGOs and international media. Daesh is the latest group added to their arsenal.   

The goals are to destabilize, de-Islamise, denuclearize and balkanize Pakistan using covert means and psychological operations.

 

 

 

 

 

Pakistan was made to fight terrorism on its soil, then accused of harboring terrorists in safe havens in FATA and aiding cross border terrorism in Afghanistan, occupied Kashmir and India, and then constantly pressed to do more. The terrorist groups in FATA, Baluchistan were funded, equipped and trained to fight and exhaust Pak security forces. MQM was funded and its militants trained in India to make Karachi lawless.

India and Afghanistan were projected as victims of terrorism and Pakistan as an incubator of terrorism. The covert war launched from Afghan soil in 2002 has incurred a loss of 60,000 fatalities, injuries to tens of thousands, destruction of property, $ 118 billion financial loss and immense social trauma.

Pakistan has come under a foreign debt of $70 billion.  

The US imposed War on Terror has heightened ethnicity, sectarianism, extremism, provincialism, political instability, economic fragility and moral degeneration of society as a whole.

As a result of these frailties, Pakistan which is a nuclear power with robust armed forces that are second to none has abundant resources and resilient manpower, it has become vulnerable to foreign coercion, manipulation, and aggression.

Of all the crisis faced by Pakistan in its 70 years history, the present one is perhaps the most dangerous, both in terms of its nature and its possible consequences. Without a doubt, Pakistan is in the vortex of grave dangers and the country today stands at the cusp of survival and disaster. The Titans that have marked Pakistan as a target are impatient to fragment it. 

Pakistan’s Foreign Policy

Having given the background and overall geopolitical environment, I shall now discuss the five stages through which Pakistan’s foreign policy has moved forward to confront multiple challenges.

Quaid-e-Azam MA Jinnah had spelled out Pakistan’s foreign policy soon after the birth of Pakistan in these words:

 “Our objective should be peace within and peace without. We want to live peacefully and maintain cordial and friendly relations with our immediate neighbors and with world at large. We have no aggressive designs against any one. We stand by the United Nations Charter and will gladly make our contribution to the peace and prosperity of the world.” 

Our foreign policy is one of the friendliness and goodwill towards all the nations of the world. We do not cherish aggressive designs against any country or nation. We believe in the principle of honesty and fair-play in national and international dealings and are prepared to make our contribution to the promotion of peace and prosperity among the nations of the world. Pakistan will never be found lacking in extending its material and moral support to the oppressed and suppressed peoples of the world and in upholding the principles of the United Nations Charter.” 
Pakistan opened diplomatic relations with all the countries of the world except Israel owing to Palestinian dispute.  Successive regimes made concerted efforts to normalize relations with India but failed because of unresolved Kashmir dispute and India not reconciling to the existence of Pakistan. In its desire to become the unchallenged big power of South Asia, India whipped up a frenzy against all its neighbors. It applied multiple pressures on Pakistan and went to war thrice so as to force Pakistan to accept its hegemony and become its vassal state.

Pakistan in search of security and recognition

Pakistan started its journey as a nonaligned nation and remained the member of Non-Aligned Movement from 1947 till 1954. In the first 15 years of Pakistan’s life, the founding leaders remained deeply engrossed in establishing credentials of Pakistan’s statehood in the face of massive propaganda of India that Pakistan was a monstrosity. It was described as a transient phenomenon and Indian economic wizards had given six months life to Pakistan. International recognition was sought and obtained in those agonizing years. 

In its formative years, Pakistan attached importance to relations with Muslim countries and championed Muslim causes. Its efforts to build Muslim unity couldn’t make any headway. It cultivated special ties with Iran, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.

Pakistan joined Western pacts

Aggressive posturing of India, its expansionist designs and intentions to absorb Kashmir, together with Afghanistan’s enmity, former USSR’s heavy tilt towards India, deepening economic crisis in early 1950s, sense of isolation, and the UN and Commonwealth failing to resolve the Kashmir dispute were some of the reasons which impelled Pakistan to join the US created SEATO and Baghdad Pact/CENTO in 1954/55. Thereon, its foreign policy was governed by the US interests.

Pakistan became part of the US defensive arc stretching to Iran and Turkey to contain the spread of communism in South Asia and the Middle East. Pakistan did so despite the fact that it had no direct clash with USSR, and had to pay a heavy price for it. When Pakistan acted as a conduit in 1971 to bring China closer to the USA, it further antagonized Moscow and it decided to teach Pakistan a lesson.

Alignment with the USA however, helped Pakistan in improving its economy and defense capability phenomenally during the 10-year Ayub’s golden era.

Tilt towards China

After the Indo-Sino border clash in 1962, in the wake of Moscow, Washington and the West providing arms to India at the cost of disturbing the regional military balance, Ayub Khan started tilting towards China and Russia. This move was seen as an act of defiance by the USA and it decided to penalize him. The US discriminatory attitude was discernible in the 1965 War with India when it stopped extending economic and military assistance including the supply of spare parts, whereas Russia kept supplying arms to India.

It is believed that both ZA Bhutto and Sheikh Mujib were cultivated to trigger agitations in both the wings to bring down Ayub regime and then pave the way for the dismemberment of Pakistan in 1971.

Southwestern Asian Identity and policy of Bilateralism

After the 1971 tragedy, ZA Bhutto scrapped SEATO pact and membership of Commonwealth stating that those had proved worthless. He then tried to carve out Southwest Asian identity so as to draw economic strength and security from oil rich Arab States. This tilt towards the Gulf States brought in financial bonanza and job opportunities for Pakistan in the 1970s and also gave an opportunity to Pak military to make inroads into the GCC States. Saudi Arabia never hesitated to extend financial support to Pakistan in its testing times.

Another change in Pakistan’s foreign policy was affected by the Simla agreement in 1972 which led to the policy of bilateralism and non-alignment. Ceasefire line in Kashmir was renamed as LoC and Kashmir issue put on the back burner. India however, maintained its belligerent policy and carried out the nuclear test at Pokhran in August 1974, which impelled ZA Bhutto to go nuclear.

Afghan war (1980-1989)

Pakistan-US relations nosedived when Pakistan under Gen Ziaul Haq was put under sanctions in April 1979 by Carter regime on account of suspicion that it was pursuing nuclear program covertly. However, the Afghan war in the 1980s once again made Pakistan a close ally of USA and was bestowed with $3.5 billion assistance and F-16 jets.

Pakistan had to face Russo-Afghan-India nexus and Al-Zulfiqar terrorism (militant wing of PPP). The Afghan war brought Pakistan coolness in Pak-Iran relations but brought Afghanistan under Mujahideen very close to Pakistan. Both talked of providing strategic depth to each other.

Pakistan’s challenges in Post-cold war era

After the breakup of USSR in 1991 and end of Cold War era, Pakistan was faced with multiple foreign policy issues. The US abandoned Pakistan, imposed sanctions on it under Pressler Amendment and befriended India.

Pakistan was up against Indo-US-Israeli nexus geared toward destroying Kahuta plant.

The other issue was the fallout effects of the Afghan war in the form of Kalashnikov and drug cultures, the load of 3.5 million refugees, the radicalization of the society and sectarianism fomented by Iran and Saudi Arabia.

The other was the armed uprising in occupied Kashmir which forced India to pump in 750,000 security forces to quell the insurgency and to propagate that Pakistan was abetting it.

Pakistan had to bear with the domino effect of Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988).

And lastly, nuclear explosions by the two arch rivals in May 1998. Pakistan’s external climbed up. These challenges made the democratic era weak and uninspiring. Despite being repeatedly betrayed, Pakistan didn’t deem it fit to diversify its foreign policy and kept its hopes alive to get into the good books of USA.

Impact of 9/11

9/11 changed the global politics and Pakistan was once again befriended by the USA and made a coalition partner to fight the global war on terror as a frontline state. Pakistan for a second time shifted all its eggs in the basket of USA.

Between 2004 and 2008, Indo-Pak relations improved as a result of the peace treaty and resumption of dialogue, giving rise to optimism that core disputes will be resolved. Euphoria died down after the Mumbai attacks in November 2008 when India blamed Pakistan. Indo-Pak relations have hit rock bottom after Modi led BJP regime espousing Hindutva came to power in June 2014.

Ongoing fast changing global dynamics and ever growing strategic partnership between USA and India has impelled Pakistan policy makers to revisit the foreign policy and suitably modify it to meet the future challenges.

Pakistan’s current challenges

India has not reconciled to the existence of Pakistan and strives to reduce it to the status of a Satellite State.

India is a strategic partner of the US, Israel, Afghanistan and is the darling of the west. The trio is pursuing common objective of destroying Pakistan.

India is making concerted efforts to destabilize Pakistan through covert war, encircle Pakistan by consolidating its presence in Afghanistan, Central Asian Republics (CARs), building North-South Corridor linking Mumbai with Bandar Abbas; and connecting Chabahar with Afghanistan-CARs.

India is working hard to isolate Pakistan by tarnishing its image and spoiling its relations with Afghanistan, Iran, Gulf States and the US.

Kashmir is an internationally recognized dispute but India stubbornly maintains that it is its integral part well knowing that the Kashmiris hate Indians and want freedom at all cost.

To keep Pakistan on the defensive and force it to forget Kashmir, India is playing terrorism card, Baluchistan and Sindh cards, and water terrorism to bend Pakistan on its knees.

India’s Cold Start doctrine is aimed at offsetting Pakistan’s strategic nuclear doctrine and executing it at a time when the bulk of Pak forces had got pinned down in designated restive areas.

The upturn of Pakistan’s sunk economy and its image, control over energy crisis and terrorism coupled with development works and fast progressing CPEC have increased the anxieties of India. To give vent to its frustrations, it is carrying out unprovoked firing across the LoC and working boundary in Kashmir relentlessly.

For all practical purposes, Pakistan has fallen from the grace of USA and time is not far when it will be once again be ditched and put under harsh sanctions.

Indo-US-Israel agenda of disabling Pakistan’s nuclear program, or as a minimum curtailing its minimum deterrence capability remain unchanged.

Afghanistan under Hamid Karzai remained aligned with India and hostile to Pakistan. Afghan Unity government under Ghani-Abdullah is far worse.

Pak-Iran relations are frosty and practically, Iran is more close to India and Afghanistan.

Net outcome in 2017

Pakistan foreign policy makers are faced with perpetually hostile India, near hostile Afghanistan, and the changed attitude of the US. Washington has callously whipped Pakistan under its ‘do more’ policy and is now hurling warnings. It’s heavy tilt towards India is a matter of anxiety for Pakistan.

Iran nurtures grouses on account of Pakistan’s closeness with Saudi Arabia, and for sending Gen Raheel to Riyadh to head 41-member Sunni Muslim States Alliance.

Warmth in a relationship with the GCC States has diluted because of Pakistan not agreeing to send troops to Saudi Arabia to ward off the threat from Yemen. Saudi-Qatar tiff is another challenge faced by Pakistan since it cannot afford to take sides.

Pakistan has been deliberately kept politically unstable by making it play the game of ladder and snake so that it remains economically dependent. It was pulled down whenever it grew economically strong. That is why it has been lurching from one crisis to another in its 70 years checkered history.

Pakistan can ill-afford political disharmony and disunity at this critical juncture when black clouds are hovering over its horizon.

Geopolitical realities

Pakistan is faced with multiple threats of Indo-US-Afghan covert war, India’s Cold Start Doctrine, the US Af-Pak doctrine, and Hybrid war and all these threats have now become menacing.

The threat to its security has heightened after the signing of three Indo-US defense agreements in 2016 and the US openly expressing its enmity against Pakistan and love for India.

India is getting unnerved on account of high-intensity freedom struggle in occupied Kashmir, which is slipping out of its hands and is endangering the unity of India. India has no other choice except to keep persecuting the Kashmiris ruthlessly, keep the LoC on fire and to diplomatically place Pakistan on the back foot.

Muslim Pakistan, laced with nuclear/missile power and now getting economically strong due to CPEC is unacceptable to USA, India, and Israel. The trio may go to any extent to disrupt CPEC.

Pakistan is faced with the threat of two-front war from east and west, inauspicious southwestern backyard, vulnerable seacoast, not so friendly Gulf States, together with the internal war on terror and internal war on terror

Pakistan’s viable nuclear cum missile capability deters India from waging an open war.

Nuclear factor has compelled India to resort to indirect strategy to weaken Pakistan from within through unrelenting covert war, discredit and isolate it through propaganda and diplomacy, extract its nuclear teeth clandestinely, and then apply the military instrument through Cold Start doctrine.

Having tried out all possible means short of war, the only other option left with enemies of Pakistan is to create political chaos and logjam, paralyze the government machinery and then trigger civil war as in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and Syria. Many are suspecting a game plan behind the current political imbroglio.

The success of $21 trillion One-Road-One-belt projects of China hinges on successful completion of CPEC. In view of China’s ambition to become leading economic power and its heavy economic stakes in CPEC, it is bound to come to the aid of Pakistan whenever its security is threatened.

Pakistan is a target and not an ally of USA. Earlier Pakistan gets out of the enchantment of USA, better it will be.

Inferences

Any expectation of goodwill and empathy from India, Afghanistan under Ghani and USA, which in pursuit of their common objectives have been inflicting tens of thousands of cuts on the body of Pakistan and its people, will be foolhardy.

The newly appointed Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif in consultation with the new PM Khaqan Abbasi, CJCSC Gen Zubair Hayat, and Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa need to revisit the foreign policy at the earliest to make appropriate changes after correctly identifying friends and foes and accordingly diversifying the policy to meet the upcoming challenges.

Foreign policy instead of being defensive, apologetic and reactive, should be infused with dynamism and pro-activeness.

The change in foreign policy should not be abrupt, but gradual and orderly without violent fluctuations. The change should be akin to autumn changing into winter, or winter into spring.

While maintaining a working relationship with the USA, Pakistan should draw closer to China, Russia, Central Asia, SCO, and ASEAN.

Pakistan should work hard to bring Iran in the loop of China-Russia peace-talks initiative, possibly draw in Turkey and conjointly work to restore peace in war torn Afghanistan.

Pakistan must strive to establish a friendly regime in Kabul.

Surging Afghan Taliban and not the corrupt and inept unity government in Kabul toeing Indo-US agenda should be kept in the loop.

Pakistan should continue to play a mediatory role in the Iran-Saudi ideological rivalry and in Saudi-Qatar tiff to narrow down their differences and also allay the misperceptions of Gulf States on account of Yemen crisis. It will be unwise to call back Gen Raheel and detach Pakistan from 41-member Muslim Alliance.

CPEC should be made use of as a strong magnet by our foreign policy makers to attract as many nations from Central Asia, South Asia, Middle East, Africa and Europe to ward off Indian inspired threat of isolation.

Gwadar-Chahbahar economic rivalry should be converted into an opportunity to complement each other’s strength.

Kashmir is the jugular vein of Pakistan. Comprehensive and pragmatic Kashmir policy should be devised to keep the cause of Kashmir alive.

Conclusion. While many developing countries have raced ahead, Pakistan is still struggling and has neither become an Asian tiger or a secure country. Political parties are behaving irresponsibly and are advised to shun politics of agitation and division and promote the concept of “Unity in Diversity”. Strong and united home front is the best defense against internal and external challenges.

 

The writer is a retired Brig, a war veteran, defense and security analyst, columnist, author of five books. He is Director Measac Research Centre, Vice Chairman Thinkers Forum Pakistan, Editor-in-chief “Better Morrow’ magazine, editor of website group ‘The Patriots’. asifharoonraja@gmail.com

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London: Finsburry Park Mosque Attack, Dividing the World on Religious Lines by Sajjad Shaukat, International Author & Thought Leader

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A man died and at least 11 people were injured in the early hours of Monday (June 19, 2017) morning after a van was rammed into a crowd of Muslims worshipers in Finsbury Park near a mosque in north London.

 

Eyewitnesses reported chaotic scenes, as the incident unfolded just after midnight when worshipers had just finished evening Ramadan prayers. They said that the driver shouted, “I want to kill all Muslims” before onlookers pinned him to the ground. He was protected from a crowd by an Imam and other Muslims who have been credited with saving his life.

The British Terrorist Darren Osborne

Next day, British police and media that a white man-47-year-old man, namely, Darren Osborne who has previously expressed hatred of Muslims was arrested by police on suspicion of attempted murder and of the terror offense. He was not known to the security services.

 

Earlier, the British police stated, the man who died was already being treated for an unrelated ailment and they are still investigating whether or not his death was related to the attack.

 

British Prime Minister Theresa May has vowed that that “hatred and evil of the kind seen in the terror attack on a London mosque will never succeed—every bit as insidious and destructive to our values and our way of life”, as recent terror attacks motivated by Islamist extremism.”

 

While warning the rise of Islamophobia, leader of the Labour party Jeremy Corbyn said, “I see it this is a terror on the streets…in the communities…We have to all reach out and feel their pain and their stress.”

 

The Guardian reported on June 20, this year, White supremacists celebrated the attack [On Muslim worshippers], according to the US extremist monitoring group Site. It also said pro-Islamic State channels were using reports of the incident to incite Muslims.”

 

According to the latest news, ISIS extremists operating online have used the terror attack outside a mosque in London to call for more violent assaults on the West in response.

 

Much has been written and said by writers and analysts of print and electronic media about the terror attacks in Finsbury Park near a mosque. On the social media, the opinion of some Christians, Jews, and Muslims are divided, while elaborating the tragedy in accordance with their own particular religious background. Prejudice is ruining so high against one another that by reading the name, some people of the opposite side ignore his views.

Zionist Controlled Western Media

Despite it, fact remains that we are living in a world of Zionist-controlled media which is very strong and whatever it releases by concealing the truth and propagating Israeli interests as part of the disinformation, impress the politicians and general masses in the whole world.

 

In this regard, scholars of international affairs agree that “foreign affairs are too foreign” to the citizens of a country. Renowned scholar Prof. Hoslti opines that “issues and situations” have “influence on public opinion” which in turn “influences the objectives and actions.”

In fact, the fault cannot be laid on the general masses, a majority of whom does not have much time to go in-depth. Hence, they are swayed by emotions, stereotypes, and prejudices created by the political leaders who keep on manipulating any crisis for their own self-interests with the sole aim of getting their sympathies to increase their vote bank. There are equally strong pressures from religious and nationalist forces in wake of fake global war on terror which is dividing the world into religious lines.

 

Therefore, terror attack on the Muslim worshippers in Finsbury Park cannot be seen in isolation. We need to analyze various related developments of the recent past and the present ones in the world and inside the UK to reach the conclusion.

 

It is notable that no party gain a clear majority in the general elections of the UK, which were held on June 8, 2017.

 

Jeremy Corbyn has declared his party the victors after addressing staff at Labour Party’s headquarter. Corbyn also repeated his call for the prime minister to resign.

 

On the other side, Conservative Party of Prime Minister May lost its majority and was eight seats short of a majority. Brushing aside the call of resignation, May has sought permission from the Queen to form a new government.

 

British analysts opined that there would not be a stable government, as the election results have shown. Instead, there would be hung Parliament in the UK.

Mossad’s Manchurian Candidates Arise

It was the right hour for the Israeli secret agency Mossad to arrange another terror assault in the UK, which targeted the Muslim worshippers in Finsbury Park near a mosque.

 

It is mentionable that at least 22 people were killed in a terror attack at Ariana Grande concert in Manchester on May 22, 2017.

 

British police said that the attack was carried out by a single suicide bomber, who also died. Afterward, the man who targeted the Ariana Grande gig has been named as 22-year-old Salman Abedi who was a British national and the child of Libyan refugees.

 

Ian Hopkins, the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police stated, “Abedi was said to have been known to police and the intelligence agencies. British Prime Minister Theresa May said, “Salman Abadi may have been part of a bigger network.”

 

After the Manchester terror assault, British police had arrested several people in connection with the investigation, and some were released without charge. A Libyan pilot was also arrested as part of the investigation into the terror network behind Manchester bomber.

 

But, a German intelligence official stated that Abedi-the real culprit of the Manchester rampage flew from Istanbul to the UK via Dusseldorf’s international airport. A senior Turkish official disclosed that the Turkish government had already sent a file on Abedi to British authorities, but declined to discuss the details of the communication.

Following the Manchester carnage, Prime Minister May, the leader of the Conservative Party and Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the Labour Party, including Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron had suspended the campaigning for the general election.

 

On the social media, the ISIS claimed responsibility for the terror assault at Ariana Grande concert. Other ISIS supporters said online that the attack was revenge for the UK’s involvement in the bombing campaign against ISIL in Iraq and Syria. 

 

Similarly, seven people were killed and 48 persons injured in the terror attack on London Bridge and at the adjacent Borough Market on June 3, 2017.

 

According to the British police and media, a van driving at high speed mowed down pedestrians on London Bridge before the occupants got out and began stabbing patrons at nearby bars and restaurants at the adjacent Borough Market.

 

The terror attacks came days before the general election and two weeks after the Manchester tragedy. It was the third terrorist attack to strike the Great Britain, this year after a man drove a car into a pedestrian on Westminister Bridge in March. 

 

About the London terror assaults of June 3, the CNN disclosed on June 4, 2017, “The ISIS-linked Amaq Agency claimed a “detachment of Islamic State fighters” carried out the attack, but CNN terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank cautions ISIS has provided no evidence to back up its claim. Amaq also claimed ISIS was behind the attack at a resort in Manila last week, despite Filipino authorities asserting it was not terror-related. A US counterterrorism source tells CNN that US intelligence is aware of the London claim. Mark Rowley, the assistant commissioner for specialist operations in the Metropolitan Police Service, says that authorities will “release the identities of the three men directly responsible for the attacks…as soon as operationally possible.” Police are searching four properties. As for the 12 arrests made during the Barking raids, one man, 55, has been released without charge.”

 

The Telegraph said on June 5, 2017, that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claimed responsibility for the London attacks on June 7. However, it was quite opposite to the report of CNN.

 

Earlier, British Prime Minister Theresa May warned that Britain is in the grip of a spate of copycat terror attacks in the wake of the London Bridge atrocity. She elaborated that for the second time, this election campaign, Mrs May who had just chaired a meeting of the Government’s Cobra emergency committee, stated that while the Manchester Ariana attack which killed 22 people, the Westminster attack in March which left four people dead and the London Bridge attack were not directly connected, there was now a “new trend” in the threat the UK faces.

 

She further remarked, “Terrorism breeds terrorism and perpetrators are inspired to attack, not only on the basis of carefully constructed plots after years of planning and training, and not even as lone attackers radicalized online, but by copying one another and often using the crudest of means of attack…We cannot and must not pretend that things can continue as they are. Things need to change…the recent attacks were all connected by “the single evil ideology of Islamist extremism that preaches hatred, sows division and promotes sectarianism”. Analysts and sources pointed out that her reference to the public sector meant that schools and other public bodies had to adopt a much stricter approach to extremism, while councils had to make sure they did not create ghettos by housing Muslims in areas where they become concentrated together.

 

Mrs May also added that the internet provided a “safe space” for extremists to spread their creed and plan attacks, and said it was time to “regulate cyberspace” through the sort of agreements she reached at the G7 summit in Italy recently, when leaders agreed to pile pressure on social media companies to block extremist material.

 

After the terror attacks on London Bridge and at Borough Market London, again, major parties of the Britain, temporarily, suspended the national election campaigning for the general elections which were held on June 8, this year.

 

Regarding London attacks, Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the Labour Party had said that Prime Minister May should resign—three days “before polling day may not seem particularly realistic. Corbyn also said, “The election might be a better way of removing her.”

 

It is notable that three days before the first round of France’s presidential elections, held on April 23, 2017, a French policeman was shot dead and two others were wounded in central Paris on April 20, 2017, when a gunman wielding a machine gun leapt out of a car and opened fire on the Champs-Elysees, Paris’s most famous boulevard. ISIS claimed that the attack was carried out by “Abu Yousuf al-Baljiki (the Belgian) and he is one of the Islamic State’s fighters.”

French Racism Promotion of Anti-Muslim Rhetoric and the Rise of Terrorism among French Isolated Minorities

In the aftermath of the shooting, the three main candidates canceled campaign events and instead made televised statements in which they competed to talk tough on security and vowed a crackdown on ISIS. The incident brought issues of terrorism, the French Muslims, security, and immigration back to the forefront of the campaign. Marine Le Pen demanded the closure of all Islamist mosques, repeating her call for Europe’s partly open borders to be closed. The centrist Emmanuel Macron was elected French president by defeating the ultra-nationalist and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in the second round of the French presidential election.

 

Karim Cheurfi, a 39-year-old French national who was shot dead by the police was identified as the attacker.

 

In fact, terror attack at Champs-Elysees-Paris’s Boulevard was arranged by the Israeli Mossad with the assistance of the ISIS to ensure the victory of Macron in the French presidential elections. The pro-Israeli, the then French president-elect Emmanuel Macron who was having connections with Tel Aviv in the past will maintain the US-led status quo in the world and will further advance the Israeli agenda against Russia, China, Syria, Pakistan etc, and the Muslims, while further advancing the international forces of globalization, controlled by the wealthy Jews and the elite class at the cost of small countries and the poor class.

 

Recall that three days before the general elections in Spain, the train bombings in Madrid on March 11, 2004, which killed more than 200 people turned the election results in favour of Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero whose Socialist Party won the elections, as he had said that Spain where the “US war has been deeply unpopular”, would withdraw its troops from Iraq. While government led by the Prime Minister Jose Maria who staunchly supported the American-led war in Iraq lost the election. The victory of the Socialist Party in Spain was being called by some in Europe and America as a victory for terrorism, a precedent that offers Al-Qaeda or groups like it the notion that they can alter the democratic process with bombs and murder. A former member of the Spanish Parliament, Pedro Schwartz remarked, “Al-Qaeda won the election”.

 

As a matter of fact, the agents of Mossad who are in collaboration with the CIA sympathizers, Syrian rebel groups and the ISIL militants arranged terror attacks in Paris, Brussels, Orlando, San Bernardino, Nice, Munich, London (March 22, 2017), St. Petersburg (Metro train)  in Stockholm, in Manchester and again in London, and now at the London mosque. While, a gunman who went by the nickname Black Jesus was identied—39-year-old Kori Ali Muhammad, making militant comments on social media killed three white men in downtown Fresno, California, on April 18, 2017, and fired at another before he was taken into custody, while shouting “Allahu Akhbar,” as the Fresno police stated.

 

There is an interrelationship of the terror attacks in the US, Europe, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Philippines etc., and elsewhere in the world, which were false flag terror attacks, conducted by Mossad in connivance with the agents of Indian secret agency RAW and those of the vulnerable CIA operatives.

 

Through all these false flag terror operations, the US and Israel wanted to obtain their covert aims against Russia and the Muslims. Mossad had also provided the US President Donald Trump with an opportunity to manipulate various terror assaults of Europe and America to win the US presidential election and to reunite America and Europe, as a rift was created between America and its Western allies, especially Europe on a number of issues, including NATO. And, President Donald Trump had left no stone unturned in implementing anti-Muslim policies, while speaking openly against the Muslims and Syrian immigrants. 

 

It is noteworthy that since September 2015, Russian-led coalition of Iran, Iraq, the Syrian army the National Defense Forces (NDF) and Lebanon-based Hezbollah in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been achieving successes in Syria and Iraq by retaking several regions from the occupation of the CIA-Mossad led rebel groups and ISIS militants after their failure to topple the Assad government—proving links of Al-Qaeda’s Al-Nusra Front and ISIS with America and Israel, Mossad with the cooperation of some CIA agents started terrorism-related attacks in the US and Europe. Meanwhile, the CIA-Plan B for partition of Syria also failed. Moscow also exposed smuggling of oil supply by the ISIL-controlled areas to Europe and silence of their governments in this connection. In this regard, Russian Presidents Vladimir Putin’s successful diplomacy surprised the Israel-led America and some European countries who still want to oust the Assad regime to obtain the greater interests of Israel.

 

In response, taking note of various developments and some other ones such as reluctance of NATO countries to support America’s fake global war on terror,  acceptance of Syrian refugees by the European countries, especially Germany, criticism of the controversial Turkish-EU refugee deal by a number of human rights groups, the EU rule to boycott goods produced in Israeli settlements on the West Bank, Britain’s decision to leave the European Union (EU), after the referendum (Brexit) on June 24, 2016, prospects of Scotland and some other countries for separation from the EU, and the divide between the elite class which run multinational companies with the direct or indirect control of the Jews and the general masses who are suffering from multiple problems in wake of differences on the refugee crisis, Syrian war, Greece’s weak economy, violent protests against the labour laws in France etc.—the chances of European Union’s disintegration and a rift among the NATO countries, as noted in the recent past by the “Stop NATO protests in Europe were quite opposite to the Israeli secret interests. Hence, Israeli Mossad which was in collaboration with the vulnerable CIA operatives organized terror assaults in the US and Europe. As part of the double game, these terror attacks were conducted by these secret agencies, particularly Mossad with the assistance of the ISIS terrorists who used the home-grown terrorists of these countries.

 

Owing to the irresponsible approach of the Western leaders and their media, far right-wing parties and “Stop Islam” movement in the West, especially in Europe has been becoming popular by largely attracting their people. Right-wing parties in a growing number of European countries have made electoral gains. The right-wing parties range across a wide policy spectrum, from populist and nationalist to far-right neofascist.

 

Other aims of Tel Aviv was to muster the support of America’s Western allies against Russia in relation to the Syrian war, as US-led countries like France, UK also started airstrikes in Syria and Iraq, under the cover of targeting ISIL.

 

Trump’s Extremist Anti-Muslim Islamophobia

 

When American President Trump’s extremist policies were strongly criticized inside America and around the world, including particularly her Western allies, his advisers, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, neoconservatives and Israeli-backed officials directed him to implement dual strategy of Bush and Obama, with the aim to keep America and Western allies, particularly Europe united against Syria, Russia, China, Pakistan etc., while covertly continuing anti-Muslim rhetoric so as to safeguard the interests of Tel Aviv.

 

Nonetheless, Israel succeeded in its sinister designs. Notably, backing out from his earlier statements, American President Trump has changed his policy regarding Europe and NATO. In this context, he stated on April 13, 2017, that US relations with Russia may be at “an all-time low” and declared a new-found faith in NATO, suggesting the alliance was “no longer obsolete”. Besides, US President Donald Trump attended a summit of NATO nations, held on May 25, 2017, in Brussels. He also met leaders of NATO and those of EU. His trip to the European countries came in wake of the deadly attack in Manchester. Talking to the Belgium prime minister, Trump said that countries would work together to defeat various problems and “new one is terrorism.”

 

Here, it is mentionable that Machiavelli advises the rulers to have a lion-like image outwardly, and act upon the traits of goat inwardly. He also suggests them foreign adventures and the use of terror to obtain their goals. In his sense, a good ruler should be a good opportunist and hypocrite. While echoing Machiavelli, Morgenthau points out that sometimes, rulers act upon immoral activities like deceit, fraud, falsehood and even murder to fulfill their selfish aims.

Trump Lies and Duplicity

Now, Trump has begun acting upon the discarded theory of the past in the modern era. It could be judged from the recent trip of Trump to the Middle East. Backing out from his earlier statements—banning the Muslims from entering the United States, vetting of the Muslims—blocking visas being issued to anyone from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen—strict conditions for the citizens from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Lebanon, in Saudi Arabia, in his address at a regional summit in Riyadh, on May 22, 2017, President Donald Trump called for “Muslim unity in the fight against terrorism…a battle between good and evil…U.S. wants a coalition of nations who share the aim of stamping out extremism…This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it,” as he elaborated.

 

Like Bush and Obama, Trump described Islam as “a religion of peace” and did not use the contentious phrase “radical Islamic terrorism,” as he frequently has in US speeches. Instead, he called on the Muslim leaders to honestly confront “the crisis of Islamist extremism and the Islamist terror groups.”

 

Setting aside the Israeli-led US state terrorism and CIA-backed terror in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Yemen and other vulnerable Islamic countries, Trump singled out Iran, accusing Tehran of contributing to instability in the region. He supposedly said, “From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms and trains terrorists, militias and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region.” Keeping Israeli hidden agenda in his mind, Trump also stated that all the Muslim nations should boycott Iran, and also pledged to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for peace of the region.

 

Trump’s address was a mixture of calls for Israeli-Arab peace and a defense of Israel from threats in the region, including from the groups allied with the Palestinian cause.

 

On May 21, 2017, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Trump signed a defense deal of nearly $110 billion agreement to bolster the military capabilities of Saudi Arabia. The defense deal, effective immediately, was one of the series agreements the two countries signed to enhance their military and economic partnerships, including a second defense pact with options valued up to $350 billion over the next 10 years. In fact, by keeping the Iranian phobia, the major purpose of Trump’s visit was to sell America arms to Saudi Arabia.

 

President Trump also encouraged NATO-like alliance of Saudi Arabia, which includes the Sunni countries against Shia states, especially Iran and Yemen. It was formed on the instructions of Washington. As after the US-led invasion of the Afghanistan, Iraq, airstrikes on Libya and promotion of war in Syria have been clearly exposed, therefore, America revived the old phony global war on terror to secure the illegitimate interests of Tel Aviv, whose major aim was to deceive the Muslims.

 

President Donald Trump pledged on May 23, 2017, at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem that he would work for an Israeli-Palestinian peace, while, protecting the region from Iran and other threats. He stated, “Israelis have experienced firsthand the hatred and terror of radical violence…Hamas and Hezbollah launch rockets into Israeli communities…The United States is firmly committed to keeping Iran from developing a nuclear weapon…America’s security partnership with Israel is stronger than ever.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump and his wife, daughter, and son-in-law for visiting the Western Wall before saying Israel must always be able to defend itself against any threat.

 

Trump met earlier in the day with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem and came back to Jerusalem insisting that a peace deal is possible.

 

All this reminds that before attacking Iraq in 2013, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the US President Bush had announced the Road Map to the Middle East so as to please the Islamic World that Palestinian-Israeli issue would be settled. But no progress took place in that respect.

 

It is also of particular attention that on June 5, this year, six Arab countries including Saudi Arabia and Egypt cut diplomatic ties with Qatar for allegedly supporting terrorism. Trump also raised similar false allegations in connection with Qatar. While Saudi Arabian king who wants to save the kingdom of the country has been creating division and divide between the Muslim countries on the basis of Shia and Sunni. In fact, America and Israel are diverting the attention of the international community from their own state terrorism and terrorism-related attacks in the world. 

Despite the revival of the fake global war on terror, some developments disappointed the Israelis. In this regard, Russia-Turkey alliance to fight the ISIS, and US decision to dispatch more troops in Afghanistan where America and its NATO allies have entangled in the prolonged war of history, which has, rapidly, increased the cost of war, bringing about multiple internal crises, affecting the ordinary Americans and Western citizens, particularly those of Europe might be cited as example. Besides, differences between the Britain and the US about Manchester terror attack—probe of Trump that the US intelligence agencies already knew it, Trump’s criticism of Germany regarding trade, conduction of missile test by North Korea, failure of Thump’s war-like diplomacy against the latter and waning of Russia and China to America in this regard also depressed the Israelis.

Israel’s Set-Backs

Notably, on June 8, 2017, the Russian Defense Ministry said that it is checking on information, indicating that the Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was reportedly killed in a Russia-led airstrike in Syria. However, this incident further disappointed the Israelis.

The Russian Meddling in US Election in Support of Donald Trump

Moreover, US intelligence agencies, especially FBI has continued the so-called investigation that Russia and President Putin authorized the hacking in the November 8 US presidential election aimed to help Donald Trump to win it. Both Putin and Trump have denied the charges. In this connection, differences between CIA and FBI also frustrated Tel Aviv.

 

Especially, Tel Aviv wants to intensify the new Cold War between the US-led West and Russia so as to avoid the two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, as some European countries have been emphasizing on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to stop the expansion of West Bank settlements and restart a negotiation process for the two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute in wake of the debate between the Zionists and non-Zionist Jews in relation to the two-state solution of the issue.

 

Earlier, on January 15, 2016, France who is a staunch supporter of the two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian issue conducted a summit in Paris which was attended by 70 nations. In a statement, delegates at the summit also restated their commitment to the two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and emphasized on them to restart negotiations. Palestinians welcomed the conference, but Israel called it “rigged”.

 

As regards the new Cold War, ABC News (Wire Service News) pointed out on June 14, 2017, “The U.S. has deployed a truck-mounted missile system into Syria, an official said Wednesday, to a forward operating group of rebels and U.S. military advisers that have repeatedly clashed with government forces. The deployment raises the stakes in eastern Syria, where Iranian-sponsored pro-government forces have outflanked U.S. advisers and rebels holding the Tanf border crossing to establish their own link to Iraq for the first time in years.”

 

Taking note of America’s ineffective diplomacy in Syria, by violating the international law, an American fighter jet shot down a Syrian warplane on June 18, this year. In reaction, Russia has shut down a communication line with its US counterparts in Syria, threatening to target any aircraft including US aircraft operating, above Russian and Syrian regime-controlled territory in the country. Under the guise of combating terrorism, on June 20, 2017, a US fighter jet also shot down an armed Iranian drone in southern Syria.

 

The Hindu Fundamentalism of PM Narendra Modi and BJP

 

It is also of particular attention that by pursuing the double standards of America in its worst form, Trump also intends to favor India, while opposing the nuclear weapons of Pakistan. However, like Obama, Trump has brushed aside the ground realities that Indian Prime Minister Modi-led by the ruling fundamentalist party BJP has been implementing anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan agenda while encouraging Hindutva (Hindu nationalism).

CIA-MOSSAD-RAW -The Axis of Evil in Covert & BlackOPS

As part of the double game, based in Afghanistan, operatives of CIA, RAW and  Mossad which have well-established their collective secret network there, and are well-penetrated in the terrorist outfits like ISIS, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and their affiliated Taliban groups are using their terrorists to destabilize Tibetan regions of China, Iranian Sistan-Baluchistan and Pakistan by arranging the subversive activities. In this context, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is their special target. Recent acts of terrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s Balochistan are part of the same scheme.

 

Although Mossad was behind terror attacks in Madrid and at Champs-Elysees, Boulevard to affect the election results, as already mentioned, yet the case of the latest terror assaults in Britain is a little bit different, though having similar purposes of Tel Aviv.

 

 

 

 

According to a report of Telegraph, “Landmark study shows the number of children under five being brought up as Muslim rose 80 per cent in a decade while three-quarters of Muslims in the UK identify themselves solely as British…The number of children…in what experts have described as an “unprecedented” shift in Britain’s social make-up. One in 12 schoolchildren in England and Wales are now officially classed as Muslim after a decade which saw the number of followers of Islam surge by just over 1.1 million, according to the most detailed study of its kind ever published. The report, presented to Parliament, concludes that Muslims could play a decisive role in the coming general election…making up a significant share of voters in some of the most marginal seats in the country. Significantly, Muslims make up more than a fifth of the population in 26 parliamentary constituencies and around 50 per cent in some areas. There are also 70 council wards with a Muslim population of 40 percent or more…This statistic highlights the diversity in modern Britain and the need that this is reflected in all spheres of life, from top management opportunities to political representation.”

 

In the meantime, last year, the success of first Muslim Pakistan’s origin Sadiq Khan as mayor of London by defeating the Conservative rival Zac Goldsmith-a wealthy Jew who was supported by the former British Prime Minister David Cameron also depressed the Israelis. In the May 2015, the number of Muslim MPs in Britain increased from eight to 13.

 

Now, a total of 16 Muslims, including a dozen British Pakistanis, have won UK Parliamentary elections of 2017 to become members of the House of Commons on mainly Labour and Conservative tickets.

 

Unlike the other European countries, Britain has strongly favored American policies. By bypassing the UN Security Council, Anglo-American invasion of Iraq might be cited as an instance. As regards the anti-Muslim policy of the UK, on January 18, 2015, while singling out only Muslim women British Prime Minister David Cameron had announced that Muslim women who fail to learn English to a high enough standard could face deportation from Britain. He also suggested that poor English skills can leave people “more susceptible to the messages of groups like Islamic State (IS).”  His biased statement was firmly criticized by the Muslim MPs and some members of his own party.

 

Therefore, either it is Conservative Party or Labour Party, which, usually, wins the election; it does not matter, as both the parties are pro-American. Interestingly, both were trying to win the support of the Muslim voters for the recent election.

 

It is noteworthy that, taking cognizance of the growing threat of global terrorism which has been dividing the Western and Islamic nations into cultural and religious lines since 9/11, American and European governments had already started an inter-faith dialogue, especially between the Christian and Muslim nations. The main aim of such a dialogue was to create interfaith harmony among various religious communities. In the recent years, many conferences were held in various countries in which scholars from Islamic states also participated with a view to creating cultural understanding and interfaith cooperation among major religious communities. But, all these measures proved fruitless due to a deliberate anti-Muslim campaign, launched by the Indo-Israeli lobbies, resulting in obstacles in global interfaith harmony. America and its allies continued to kill many innocent civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kashmir, and Palestine through heavy aerial bombardment and ground shelling in the name of the war on terror. The occupying forces have been using every possible technique of state terrorism in these territories which have become the breeding grounds of a prolonged interaction between freedom fighters and state terrorists, thwarting global interfaith harmony.

Indo-Israeli Lobby

It is because of these developments that a greater resentment is being found among the Muslims who think that the US in connivance with the Indo-Israeli lobbies is sponsoring state terrorism, directly or indirectly from Kashmir to Palestine.

‘Working for India or against Islam? Islamophobia in Indian American Lobbies’

In this context, on October 19, 2007, the special issue of South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal, under the caption-‘Working for India or against Islam? Islamophobia in Indian American Lobbies’ had written, “In the past few years, Indian American community has gained an unprecedented visibility in the international arena and now constitutes influential ethnic lobbies in Washington. Among other factors, Hindu aligned with Jewish pressure groups in relation to the war against terrorism and to further the India-Israel-US strategic partnership play a major role in exaggerating Islamophobic overtones in the Indian American lobbies”.

 

Another regrettable point is that irresponsible attitude of Indian, Israeli and some Western politicians have introduced dangerous socio-religious dimension in their societies by equating the “war on terror” with “war on Islam” and acts of Al Qaeda with all the Muslims. Their media have also been contributing to heighten the currents of world politics on cultural and religious lines with the negative projection of Islam.

 

Anyhow, through the terror attacks in the UK before the general election, the major aim of Mossad was to affect the election campaign. And, through the terror assault by a white man at Muslims worshipers in Finsbury Park near the mosque, Mossad’s real purpose is to create a division of the world on religious lines, particularly between the Christians of the Western World and the Muslim World. For these sinister designs, Mossad, RAW, and CIA operatives have also been assisting ISIS and Al Qaeda and similar terror outfits which have accepted responsibility in relation to various terrorism-related attacks on Christians in Egypt and some African countries, including Pakistan.

 

While, like other European countries, especially France, Mossad wanted to accelerate persecution of Muslims, hate-crime against them and also to compel the Britain to make discriminatory laws against them. So, besides other terror attacks in the UK, the latest one is part of the same policy of Israel, implemented by Mossad.  

 

However, like Trump, Israeli rulers have also been confused due to the above-mentioned developments which do not favor Israel like the past, while, still some CIA agents, Indian RAW and particularly Mossad want to divide the world into religious lines. Like Tel Aviv, India also wants to keep its control on the Occupied Kashmir through state terrorism and to avoid its solution.

 

Although overtly President Trump has softened his external policy regarding Muslims and Islamic countries, yet covertly, he is acting upon the conspiracy of Mossad and RAW, which is, intentionally or intentionally, being followed by America’s Western partners against the Muslims. If not checked in time by the peace-loving Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Jews and Buddhists, these policies of the President Donald Trump who is particularly completing the extremist agenda of Israel are likely to result in more recruitment in the militant outfits, especially in the ISIS group, inspiring the extremist Muslims for more terrorism-related attacks. Israel, who will never accept the two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian issue, will prefer to seek the final revenge by bringing about a major war between the Muslim and the Christian worlds or to cause a major war between Russia and the US-led some Western countries, which will convert the entire world into a holocaust.

We may conclude that although agents of RAW and CIA are in a collaboration which managed terrorism-related assaults in the US and Europe and elsewhere in the world, yet Mossad is, particularly behind terror attacks in America and Europe. So, undoubtedly, Mossad is, again and again, targeting the UK through ISIS. The latest terror attack which was conducted by a white man on the Muslims worshipers in Finsbury Park near a mosque in north London clearly proves that especially Mossad seems determined to divide the world into religious lines.

 

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: The US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations

 

Email: sajjad_logic­_pak@hotmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

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‘Rejection of Discord and Disharmony’ Taking out bad to worst dudes Humayun Gauhar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pakistan Today                                                         Sunday 26th February 2017

 

‘Rejection of Discord and Disharmony’

 Taking out bad to worst dudes

 

Humayun Gauhar

 

Are we witnessing the last days of Nawaz Sharif? I don’t know so perilous is our situation and so perfidious have our ruling classes become. It can be said with a certain modicum of confidence though that we are witnessing the beginning of the end. How long it takes is anyone’s guess.

 

Whether Nawaz Sharif stays or goes matters little in the long sweep of things. His departure will cause temporary titillation to many and fuel our loquacious chattering class and chai khanas, but then what? Another election? In this odious system, we will only get another Nawaz Sharif or Asif Zardari. So?

 

The question that matters most is: are we witnessing the end of our putrid, loathsome political system that throws up gangsters, plunderers, and killers? If that is so, then there is much to celebrate for change for the better is better than no change at all. Hopefully, it will be a change toward a just and egalitarian system that would rid us of this huge gang of thieves who have not only occupied every lever of government but of business and agriculture as well and everything that comes with them. All — repeat all — institutions and regulatory bodies have collapsed: you only have to meet or even see their heads and you will believe me even though they are unbelievable.

 

The good thing that may come out of Nawaz Sharif’s departure is the process of change to another system. That means changing the Constitution that has been reduced to a joke by repeated governments, legislatures and unelectable goofs masquerading as politicians. That’s all very well, but how can change take place that is good and lasting? Who will do it? The army? Forsooth. They have tried it four times before and not only fallen flat on their faces every time, shining stars and all, but created and left behind many of our greatest problems for us to suffer. Our biggest problems are our political leaders: remember that Bhutto, Nawaz Sharif and Altaf Hussain are all creatures of the army, as are many others. So are the Taliban, Afghan, and Pakistani, as too numerous other terrorist groups. So too the vice-like economic and political embrace of America that has put us into neo-colonialism. Now, fittingly, the army is left to clean up its own mess, to put it politely. Yes, he who makes a mess should clean it too.

 

 

Ajit Doval, Head of India’s RAW Spreads Terror in Pakistan

Image result for Ajit Doval Terrorist Subversive Promotor

 

 

What compounds our problems is that many if not most of these terrorist groups have been taken over by our neighbours to the left of us and to the right of us. To the front of us across the seven seas is our greatest ‘ally’, financier and ‘banker’ of last resort that also uses these neighbours against us. Even worse, they also run many of our politicians in power and outside, media, academia and what have you. All this destabilizes Pakistan further. Worse still, the place is crawling with Indian, Afghan and American spies, many of whom are Pakistanis to boot. Many of our terrorists are foreigners too.

 

Whose fault is it? Squarely our governments and only our governments for not recognizing right from wrong, for not knowing what is good for us and what is not. It also lies on us the people for getting inveigled into repeatedly ‘electing’ and tolerating such misleading ‘leaders’ and accepting this alien political system that works not for them but for their oppressors. That’s called ‘democracy’ Pakistani style, a ‘democracy’ that only creates civilian dictatorships worse than military dictatorships.  

 

So who can change the system? As world history shows, it has to be “we the people”, if necessary at the point of a sword.

 

To top it all, there is the Panama scandal that has embroiled Nawaz Sharif and family in plunder and corruption untold. It has been so embarrassing for us that our prime minister, his wife, and children, defended by their courtiers and courtesans like well-trained hounds, that one feels loathe talking about it to foreigners. But talk we must, if nothing else because that’s all we seem to be good at. Thus a desperate people are coming up with all sorts of bizarre but diverting theories. The best is: will Nawaz Sharif lose or will the Supreme Court? If it is the latter then Pakistan loses and we will be left with no civilian institution at all, only the army but for how long without a strong civilian government to back it?

 

Meantime, Pakistan’s economy is in a steep nosedive from which pulling up is becoming very difficult if not already impossible. But remember that ashes are a necessary precondition for a phoenix to rise.

 

In all this multifaceted mess Pakistan has reached the inflection point, to put it mildly. No wonder that the military has finally been forced to do what the ‘elected’ governments despised doing: go after terrorists of all ilk countrywide. Thus the military has launched an operation to root out this menace through the length and breadth of Pakistan. They call it, confusingly, ‘Raad ul Fasaad’ which is better spelled ‘Rudd ul Fasad’. ‘Raad’ (or ‘Rudd’) means ‘rejection’ and the Quranic word ‘Fasad’ means discord and disharmony. So it means, literally, ‘Rejection of Discord and Disharmony’.

 

But it’s not so simple. You cannot get rid of Fasad without getting rid of ‘Fitna’ that causes Fasad. ‘Fitna’ literally mean mischief-maker or mischief-makers. That means getting rid of economic terrorism, people or groups or countries that enable, finance, help, and give refuge etc. to terrorists in their personal and official capacities. That includes Pakistanis and foreigners, individuals, organizations, and governments local and foreign. In Pakistan, our Fitnas are our governments and politicians, many of our seminaries and sermon-spewing mullahs in mosques, some journalists in print and television, academia, the bureaucracy and yes, many people in the military, though it seems the last are declining. And many others.

 

When they launched anti-terrorist operations in the mountains and countryside, apart from Karachi, they would have known that many terrorists would melt away into the cities, as too India and Afghanistan. But fighting guerilla wars in cities is another kettle of fish. It could cause great destruction and loss of innocent civilian lives. Just look at Aleppo and Mosul: all rubble. 

 

Some wiseacres say that the launching of the countrywide military operation is a hidden coup — a coup behind a veil. Good, because the usual upfront coup will come to a cropper as usual, not because the army as a whole lacks patriotism but because of lack of understanding of how to run a complicated and diverse country like Pakistan. They’re not trained for it.

 

A useful coincidence is that the army will also be conducting the much-delayed countrywide census beginning next month from March. Perfect time for it not only to count all citizens but also to check all abodes for hidden weapons and terrorists.

 

I’ll not even try to address the mindless question whether the “army and the civilian government are on the same page”. Patently they are not; else either the prime minister or at least his interior minister would have announced the operation. The prime minister is wasting time gallivanting in Turkey; the interior minister is nowhere to be seen. The prime minister was obviously not even asked; he was just informed and there was precious little he could do about it. That is the fruit of dereliction of duty.

 

To underline how wonky our priorities have become, most people are taken up with the irrelevant question of holding the final of the cricket Pakistan Super League in Lahore. What will that prove? It will require the waste of time of many law enforcement personnel apart from a colossal waste of money that could be better used in improving the human condition. They think that it will prove that Pakistan is not a terrorism-prone country. Tell that to the sailors. Yes, it will further bloat a lot of already bloated egos and prolong many a job of the unfit, that’s all.

 

To be sure what’s happening in Pakistan is not in a vacuum. It is part of the great global change that is taking place, the shift of the political, military and economic center of gravity from east to west. Which side the camel sits on and what color the new skin the Leviathan takes remains to be seen, but at the risk of sounding racist, it could be yellow and the world could be eating with chopsticks in the not too distant future. I love China and the Chinese.

 

humayun.gauhar786@gmail.com

 

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