Indian FS admits surgical strike was a bluff

ISLAMABAD: The Indian foreign secretary in a recent meeting with German ambassador in New Delhi is said to have admitted that there was no “surgical strike” undertaken by the Indian Army inside Azad Kashmir.

This startling information has been shared by the German authorities during a recent official meeting with Pakistan Embassy officials in Berlin. The drama of Indian “surgical strikes”, which had already become a global joke, got a serious jolt with its own foreign secretary having admitted that it was a bluff.

An informed official source said that the Pakistani authorities had been officially conveyed by its mission in Berlin that during an official meeting with the German foreign office, Pakistan was told about India’s fake “surgical strikes”.

The source said that the Pakistani mission had been told that during a formal meeting on the issue of the ongoing India-Pakistan stand-off between German Ambassador to India Dr Martin Ney and Indian FS Subramaniam Jaishankar in New Delhi, “the Indian Foreign Secretary has categorically denied and said that there was no ‘surgical strike’ undertaken by Indian Army inside Azad Kashmir, Pakistan”.

According to the source, on October 4, 2016, Minister Political Ms Rukhsana Afzal from the Embassy of Pakistan, Berlin, was scheduled to visit the German Foreign Office to raise the issue of Indian atrocities in the IHK. During thisDuring this planned meeting, Ms Rukhsana was to meet with officials from HR and Gender Policy and AfPak Division. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Ms Rukhsana also raised a few important aspects with regard to the Uri's false-flag and the fabricated surgical strike.

Ms Rukhsana was meeting the Senior Desk Officer of AfPak Division, Ms Simone Stemmler and during the meeting Ms Karen Goebels and Mr Jens Wagner from the German Foreign Ministry were also present.

It is reported to the Pakistani authorities by its mission that during the discussion Ms Rukhsana briefed the officials about relentless atrocities being committed by Indian army in IHK that have resulted in thousand of injuries, including people blinded by pellet gun shots and deaths of almost 100 Kashmiris.

Ms Karen was said to have said that German FO was aware of this and acknowledged Pakistan's position that Kashmir is a disputed territory. Ms Rukhsana further clarified that India could not wish away the issue of Kashmir by suppressing the people who demand their right to self-determination, as promised to them by various UN resolutions.

When Ms Rukhsana raised the issue of Uri’s false flag and the so-called ‘surgical strike’, Ms Simmone confided with the Pakistani diplomat that during a formal meeting on the issue of ongoing India-Pakistan stand-off between German Ambassador to India Dr Martin Ney and Indian FS Subramaniam Jaishankar in New Delhi, "the Indian Foreign Secretary has categorically denied and said that there was no 'surgical strike' undertaken by Indian army inside Azad Kashmir, Pakistan."

According to another official source, “With the so-called mantra of surgical strike, the BJP government wanted to achieve many objectives such as to prove to the world that Pakistan is a terror sponsoring state and India has the military muscle to put it under restrain, Kashmir's freedom movement is nothing more than Pakistan's sponsored terrorism, to satisfy its populations' demand of avenging Uri attack and to create an unrivaled political space ahead of UP's state elections.”

However, the source said, the above confession by Indian foreign secretary corroborated that Indian government had realised the failure of its bluffs of Uri attack and the surgical strike.

Modi government has been under pressure from Aam Admi Party and Congress to show the evidence of ‘surgical strike’. There were reports that the BJP's government might opt to come with some sort of fake clips of the strike but such a move would not be able to withstand the technical scrutiny that the fake video would be subjected to.

In this situation, the source believes that the Indian government may continue its silence on the demand of evidence for surgical strike. If the internal political pressure surpasses a certain limit and the situation becomes untenable for the BJP government, it may try to make a few scapegoats from within the Indian army by declaring that army did not provide correct picture to the government about the so-called strike.

However, it is argued that this too will be a disastrous move owing to its effects on army's morale to control the massive uprising in IHK. The fact that the role India wants its army to play in IHK requires government backing and not otherwise, makes this option least likely.

These sources said that another option with India was to undertake a real strike of sorts after staging another terrorist attack, a source said, adding that it would be yet another leap in the dark with unknown and serious consequences. Moreover, such a venture would surely be disapproved even by the most ardent Indian allies due to obvious devastating consequences.

It is feared that there are serious chances of India sponsoring a major terrorist attack inside Pakistan.