Golden opportunity to label Pakistan as Terrorist State
Pakistan has long been planning and executing terrorist activities against India. It has been over 3 decades that Pakis are undertaking such cowardice acts. All these are the means to try and bleed India with thousands cut after being itself cut in to two in 1971 war. By this time, after Gen Niazi surrendered to India in East Pakistan, they knew they cannot fight a conventional war with us. Hence, they resorted to the covert acts under the garb of ‘Jihad’ in Kashmir and Khalistani movement in Punjab. The USSR occupation of Afghanistan in 1979 provided them with an opportunity to raise a radical & Jihadi Taliban with diplomatic and financial support from USA. The funds were covertly redistributed between the Afghan Taliban and radical Islamic groups within Pakistan fighting in Kashmir and Punjab. Pakistan started preparing ground for Jihadi groups against Kashmir on the same line they were doing against Afghanistan having Russian forces…and it is an undeniable fact that CIA was aware of it but kept their eyes closed. Compulsions of the Americans were so much that they even ignored Pakistan’s clandestine efforts of making an Islamic Atomic Bomb while providing the funds to fight the Russians. In turn, Pakistan even started exporting their nuclear knowhow to Iran, Libya and North Korea. When caught red-handed, Pakistan was bailed out by singling out Abdul Qadir Khan in the eyes of international community and putting him in confinement. Obviously, the entire Pak Govt was hand-in-gloves with A Q Khan in creating such huge Uranium processing facilities employing >10,000 workers. Hereafter, any American aid to Pakistan was linked to a certificate by US administration that ‘Pakistan did not develop the nuclear bomb’. Of course, it was only an eyewash for the international communities.
It was essentially after 1989 that the Russians left Afghanistan. Many of the Pakistani terrorists returned from Afghanistan. It was convenient for Pakistan to send those hard-core terrorists in to Indian territories of Jammu & Kashmir. Pakistan proxy war in J&K is the amended version of their "Operation Gibraltar" based on the suggestions of Chinese president Chou-En-Lai, renamed as "Operation Topac". It had four main elements: -
Providing Terrorist training to Kashmiri youths in weapons and subversion.
To destabilize and discourage the state administration.
To make the Kashmir valley a Hindu-less radical Muslim ghetto.
To prepare Kashmiri Muslims for "Jihad".
Pakistan had been championing the cause of radical Islam and Jihad ever since 1989. US lost interest in Pakistan after the Russian pull-out. However, terror-factories continued proliferating in their land. In Pakistan by now, there are 10,000 odd Madrasas providing radical teachings to the youths coming from all around the world. There are over 50 odd terror organisations (Tenzeems) which train the youth volunteers of many countries in radicalism and terrorism. These terrorists are later sent to various parts of world to fight for the cause of Islam and Jihad. Paki Jihadists are all over…India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Europe, Africa, America… just to name a few. They are fighting alongside the other Islamic radicals & jihadists in Afghanistan against the US-led allied forces, in Iraq & Syria along with ISIS. Paki Jihadists have become so infamous that most of the terror attacks the world-over has some or other link in Pakistan. There is no doubt that some of those Jihadi outfits occasionally carry out Jihadi attacks against own country too but such instances are far and few as compared to their acts abroad. Pakistan cannot cry victim of home-grown terrorists. They will have to bear the consequences of bites for keeping the venomous snakes, the jihadists, in their backyards.
India has been bearing the brunt of the Pakistan sponsored Jihadi attacks since late 80s…initially in Kashmir & Punjab but later targeting the other parts of the nation as well. It has been in many forms but mostly aimed at trying to create fear by bomb-blasts, shoot-outs by their radical Islamic groups. They also try to beat communal passions. Attacks of shooting and serial blasts numbering >100 are the hallmark of the Islamic Jihadists on Indian territories… by both Pakistani terrorists and Pak-coordinated Indian Jihadists. Sixty such instances on Indian soil in which >5 persons were killed, are listed below (The figures of killed and injured are unauthentic though): -
Pakistan has evaded being labelled as a “Terror Sponsor” for long. Earlier it was protected by American and NATO allies and of late, the Chinese and some other Islamic states are sheltering them against stringent international sanctions. This is the only country having about 150 UN proscribed terrorists on its territory. There are dozens of terrorist training camps in Pakistan. There are several political parties in Pakistan who openly support and harbour terrorists. Pakistani politicians have made statements in their parliament that they had planned the Pulwama attack in India in 2019. A clear indication of it became apparent when the various radical & Jihadist organisation came in direct support of the Jihadi attacks against the French in Nov 2020. Of late, lot many revelations have taken place in Pakistan that show their State support to Terrorism the world over…not just against India. Their terrorists are believed to have supported Azerbaijan army in their attack on Nagorno Karabakh. Earlier, Bangladesh too have implicated Pakistan sponsored terror attacks on their land. Afghanistan remains terror-torn essentially because of Pak ISI-aided terrorist groups some of whom have of late returned after Taliban signing an accord with US commanders. These terrorists are now awaiting infiltration in to India.
Major instances of Pakistan as a Terror Sponsor State
1. Pak supporting terrorist attacks against France, EU states.
2. EU writing to Pak to act against perpetrators of 26/11.
3. Pak on FATF grey list ~2 yrs for terror funding awaiting blacklisting.
4. Pak ministers’ statement in Parliament of carrying out terror attacks in Pulwama, acknowledging 26/11.
5. Attack on Indian Parliament, Pathankot, Uri, Mumbai trains and dozens of more terrorist attacks since late 80s.
6. Pak having 146 UN proscribed terrorists incl Hafiz Sayeed, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Masood Azhar (JeM), Dawood and Haqqanis.
7. Imran accepting before US Presidents of having 40K terrorists. World must demand Audit of those (+Afgh returned) terrorists.
8. Open threats to India by terrorist groups in Pakistan.
9. Most killed terrorists in India, having Pak links.
10. Pak sent terrorists to fight for Azharbaijan against Armenia.
11. Army backed terrorists waiting at Launch pads along LoC.
12 Pak terrorists acts in Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
13. Terror activities anywhere in world have some or other Pak links.
14. World’s most wanted fugitive Osama-bin-Laden lived close to ISI HQ in Abbottabad, fooling the world. He is declared as Martyr by Pak
15. Dozens of Terrorist training camps at Bahawalpur & elsewhere.
16. Tracking of the repeated weapon delivery to terrorists thru’ Drones.
17. Re-commissioning of Balakot terror camp in Pak Army’s presence.
18. Various Jihadi Gps carrying out systematic genocide of minorities in Pakistan. Minorities have vanished from 23% in 1951 to <2% now.
Time is ripe for India to make a concerted effort. After the recent terror-supporting acts of Pakistan in France, many European nations are angry and keen to bring Pakistan to justice. A comprehensive document of the terror-acts of Pakistan has to be prepared to designate them as “Terror Sponsoring State” first by the Indian Parliament followed by the UNSC. Dr Jaishankar, the minister of External Affairs of India may have to use his diplomatic skills to liaise with all friendly nations incl Saudi, UAE and Iran. India will have its non-permanent member in the UNSC from 2021. He must be entrusted to get this task done with all his skills to place the resolution. This is the most opportune moment to nail the jihadists. If India fails to exploit this opportune moment now, Modi govt will be held accountable in the decades to come…just like UPA Govt failed to act against Pak following 26/11 attack on Mumbai.
It can be expected that Pakistan and China will try every means possible to escape the above UNSC bid to designate Pak as a ‘Terror Sponsoring State”. China may also approach the non-permanent members like Niger, Tunisia and Kenya to vote against the motion. Still there will be 11 votes in favour of the resolution with 4 against. It is possible that China may ‘veto’ the resolution. However, continued pressure will have to be exerted.
India also have their tasks cut to drag both Pakistan and China to the UNSC for their Rights Violations. The religious minorities in Pak are vanishing, their women abducted and forcibly married off to Muslims. China has one of the worst Human Rights records against the Buddhist monks & youths in Tibet, Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang and protagonists of democracy in Hong Kong. India must aim to at least get a credible investigation initiated by the Human Rights panel of the UN by the neutral members for an unbiased report. Although the entire world is suffering in the hands of the Jihadists, India has the largest threat with the terrorist nation Pakistan being our geographical neighbour. Hence, all efforts must be put for the safety of our nation.