New terms

The recent Indian acts of aggression, and its continuing belligerence, should leave no doubt that it is India – not Pakistan – that is not a trustworthy partner for peace and stability in this region.

India’s hegemonic aspirations have always been an obstacle to regional security. But the increasing radicalisation of Indian politics over the past decade, the diminishing influence of secular politics in India and the readiness of the Indian establishment to embrace fascist (read: the BJP and Modi’s cerebrum, the RSS) tactics, is a sure-shot recipe for an international disaster unseen by the world ever.

Pakistan has – at times well and at times not quite so – coped with Indian hegemonic aspirations, be they merely territorial or those related to the economic or cultural spheres. But when will the world realise that this Hindutva juggernaut is not only a threat to Pakistan. It is much more. Of the 1.2 billion Indians, at least one-third is not Hindu. So India needs saving from Indians (read: the extremist Hindutva), not Pakistan. Unless the reduction of one-third of India’s population is the ultimate agenda, the world needs to be more proactive. India, like any street bully, does not want to talk about its ‘internal issues’, but blames those on the outside (mostly Pakistan and China).

History will bear witness that the international community, led by the US, was for the most part of the past century wrong to espouse alliances with religious hardliners across the globe. It was and is wrong to blindly stand behind Israel. It was a mistake to embark upon the mujahideen buying spree in Afghanistan and, now, it is wrong to support the Hindu extremists in India.

Make no mistake, Modi’s countenance is just a glimpse of the truly ugly face of fascist India. If it is allowed to rear now, no one will be able to stop it. So, peace lovers around the word need to wake up. And it is not just Pakistan that is warning about all this; saner elements in India too are worried that secular India is under existential threat.

As for Pakistan, the world has clearly witnessed that Pakistan cannot just only stand up to Indian aggression, it is the saner mind when the going gets tough.

The most vulnerable and abused among the minorities in India are those residing in the Modi administered hell in Indian-held Kashmir. Modi’s trishul: (i) desire for absolute political power; (ii) extremist Hindu establishment; and (iii) alliance with fake news specialists and the war-mongering Indian media, has made not only the Kashmir issue a matter of grave and immediate international concern, but the safety of 400 million minorities paramount as well, and risked at least an equal number on both sides of the Indian border.

The recent OIC observations on Indian brutalities in Indian-held Kashmir must not be taken lightly. The continuing maturity with which Pakistan is handling the situation is gaining appreciation across the globe. We need Prime Minister Imran Khan to be seen more often to present not just a case for peace with India but to highlight the brutalities faced by the entire Kashmiri people.

Modi’s pencil and media warriors have been galvanised; the propaganda machine is trolling. Pakistan just can’t rely upon its own media to propagate the other side of the story. We need international audience and linkages. Credible opinion-writers in leading publications across the world need to be approached to help discredit the concocted Indian version.

The swift action against proscribed organisations is yet another feather in the cap. Hopefully, it will be a harbinger of a more potent foreign policy, particularly vis-a-vis Indian aggression. Let’s remember; India has been quite shrewd in quelling the genuine freedom movement in Kashmir by aligning its narrative with the war on terror. And, by blaming Pakistan, it seeks killing two birds with one stone.

The case for new terms of engagement with India has since long been made. So, what else may Pakistan consider?

First, Pakistan’s declared policy of not allowing its soil to be used for any terrorist activity within or outside its territory must find greater audience. Second, decisive actions on ground against non-state actors, particularly Indian or Afghan sponsored, need to be shared with the international audience, who remain oblivious of the sacrifices made during military operations. Third, regardless of whether a majority of Kashmiris wish to be independent or join Pakistan, Pakistan needs to send message loud and clear: every Kashmiri has an inherent right to claim Pakistani citizenship.

The writer is an advocate of the Supreme Court.