Implications of a Sudden Peace-Offer by Traditional Foe…Pakistan

Pakistan is a traditional foe of India right since its birth. Islamic Pakistan has been averse to Hindu majority India, for foiling their evil designs in Jammu and Kashmir. After being cut in two in 1971 war, Pakistan had taken two oaths; firstly, they will leave no stone unturned to divide India and secondly, they will make an Islamic Nuclear Bomb by hook or crook, even if they have to eat grass, remain hungry. Their Nuclear ambition covertly fulfilled by mid 1990s with the watchdogs looking the other ways. They revealed it only after the Indian nuclear tests. We must also not ignore the fact that this bomb has essentially be made against India, with no assurance of ‘No First Use’. Hence, the snake is in our backyard. We better remain careful…irrespective of them talking peace or war.

Towards the fulfilment of their other objective, Pakistan has been trying hard to cause unrest and divide India through various terrorist activities…earlier by raising the bogey of Khalistan and then in Muslim majority J&K. Pakistan Army has given-up any hope of dividing India through military campaign. However, through their ISI, they have invested a lot of resources in creating their fourth wing of army in the 80s…the Islamic extremists & Jihadists. Their project ‘Topaz’ has been going on. By now, some 43-odd groups of Jihadists have been raised on Pakistan soils. They train them to fight for the cause of Islam…the world over. However, some of these groups are inimical especially to India. Terrorists being trained at several dozens of their camps duly assisted by the ISI and Pak Army, have sizable strength…of being >40,000 as per the revelations by none other than their PM…Imran Khan’s confessions before the US Prez Donald Trump on 24 July 2019. Imran Khan himself has very recently raised the bogey of Jihad against India. So what has made Pakistan to change its tune from Jihad to peace? What has compelled Pak to change its traditional anti-India stance?

Pakistan has a long experience of double talk. They have been playing this game with the only superpower, the USA for decades. They kept getting American aids and continued committing back-door nuclear proliferation. They kept getting US aid for fight against Osama Bin Laden and continued hiding him on own land. They continued giving impressions to the US of assisting against Afghan Taliban but kept helping the terrorists against allied forces too. On the similar lines, whenever Pakistan has sought to work for peace with India, they invariably hatched terrible conspiracies. Examples are in plenty…Bajpayees Bus diplomacy was hijacked to Kargil war. Modi’s neighbour first approach lead to the beheading of our jawan’s. Soft diplomacy of attending Nawaz’s kin marriage even breaking protocols, led to Pathankot attack. Calling Pak for joint investigation in to Pathankot leading to Uri attack and so on. The list of Pak back-stabbing India is huge. This had to end with durable lessons taught to Pakistan…and that did come… by Surgical Strikes, both post Uri and post Pulwama. The impact of lesson is still holding to the extent that they have not indulged in any misadventure thereafter. Today they stand isolated for terror sponsoring, facing blacklisting by FATF, their economy almost shattered. So when Pak is talking of peace, India should be very careful indeed.

In the recent months the Paki anti-India rhetorics and campaigns have been at its height. The Jihadists and Terrorists groups in Pakistan have been issuing open threats against India. Imran Khan himself has talked of Jihad against us. Recently Pakistan has unilaterally redrawn their border map by merging some parts of India. Pakistan Army openly colluded with Chinese PLA…ready to create a second front of war if the hostilities broke out on the LAC. Just a few weeks back, Pakistan has initiated process to merge Gilgit-Baltistan part of PoK (the so called Azad-Kashmir) in to Pakistan state, to which India is yet to give a befitting reply. So what is this peace that Pakistan is talking of? India has already conveyed long back that terror and talks can’t go together. So has the Pakistan govt disbanded their terror factories against India? No, they have not. Has Pakistan stopped sending terrorists to India? No, they are trying to infiltrate almost on daily basis…including sending arms and ammunitions to their handlers through Chinese made drones. Has Pakistan shown any intent to take actions against the perpetrators of Indian Parliament, Mumbai 26/11, Pathankot, Uri, and Pulwama attacks? No, they have not. Instead, they continue shielding the perpetrators. Then what has Pakistan done for India to initiate peace process?????????

All those who know of Pakistan well, will agree that most, if not all civilian governments have been puppet of the Army who rule the roost. Whenever the civilian Pak govt representatives speak a view point for the nation, they are only moving their lips to render voice to the script written by their Army. However, in todays’ Pakistan, their Army too, do the things what their masters in China asks them to do. All Defence and Political analysts tend to agree that Pakistani Leadership of now, have been asked to chant the ‘Peace Mantra’ with India as directed by their masters in Beijing. This also raises a very pertinent question…why should the Chinese ask Pakistan to speak of Peace with India? Just a few weeks back, their military and Air Force deployment across LoC was in readiness to attack India, opening a second battle front and that too, for the Chinese cause. This is not too difficult to understand. It a Chess game, the Chinese Chess, in which jumping the guns are permitted. So the select Pakistani leaderships are being asked to jump and they are blindly following the orders of their bosses in China. After the Indo-Chinese standoff at Pangong area was agreed to be dis-engaged, Chinese destroyed all their permanent structures in the vast Pangong area of fingers 8 to 4 in a matter of 3 days and rushed back to their permanent location at an unprecedented speed, like a bullet. Yet they along with Pakis are still holding positions at Skardu across the LoC. So, what is in their minds? Peace? Surely not. Let us analyse this too.

It is not difficult to see that while the Pakistani military and the Chinese Air Force are still deployed in the PoK close to the LoC at Skardu, some of the Pakistani leadership have been asked to change narrative with the “Peace mantra”. It resembles as if a Jihadi terrorist with a grenade in the hand and with the detonation pin taken out, chants…’peace for all’. It also resembles the Chinese narrative during and after the heavy PLA deployment in the eastern Ladakh, with their envoy and spokespersons saying ‘we are committed to peace’. It is a laughing stock but having serious implications. Imran earlier chanting of Jihad against India suddenly claimed in Sri Lanka that Pakistan is ready for peace with India with their Army Chief saying that it was time “to bury the past and move forward”. Pak Army has been thriving on anti-India sentiments ever since 1971. It is just not possible for their hearts and minds to be changed overnight. Both Imran and Bajwa changing their narratives overnight together, confirms there are more to the story that the eyes can see.

When India had agreed for the ‘Bus Diplomacy’ there were chain of events to suggest that Paki could have been seemingly sincere for improvements in the ties… but the Bus was hijacked to Kargil War through double speak of Musharraf. When Bajpayee landed at Lahore for Nawaz Shareef’s kin marriage breaking protocols, there were chain of preceding events hinting improvements in the bilateral ties. The same was the case even when Pak investigation agencies were allowed to co-investigate the Pathankot attack but all these efforts were nullified through their Uri attack. Pakistan had amply demonstrated that they do not understand the language of peace, trust and cooperation. Therefore, a very just reply was given by the Modi govt…surgical strike for Uri…and Balakot for Pulwama…amply conveying that it is a new India. If we can go out of the way breaking all protocols to Lahore to try normalise relations, we can also teach you the lessons for your cowardice terror acts. Similarly, after a tit for tat for your cease-fire violations at the LoC, if you have learnt the lesson to observe the cease fire again, we will reciprocate. However, with the Pak & PLA troops still deployed across LoC, with India not blinking, giving no indication of any change in its position whatsoever…Pakistani peace mantra is surely hinting something sinister and there are reasons too.

Firstly, in November 2020, the puppet govt of Gilgit-Baltistan in PoK passed a resolution to become the 5th province of Pakistan. Pakistan govt feigning thus far… it to be Azad Kashmir… has been caught up for their double speak before the international community. If they accept it as Pak province, their any further claim of fighting for Kashmir cause goes for a toss. Indian govt on the other hand, was expected to have taken countermeasures to this development but Modi Govt has been caught napping so far. It was expected to pass a resolution in the Indian parliament to condemn any decision to unilaterally change the status Quo and also authorise the concerned departments to initiate all such measure so as to reclaim the entire PoK. This was the resolve by Modi Govt after Balakot too. This voice has been echoing in some sections of the Indian nationalists who are apparently dismayed with Modi Govt’s absent-mindedness. Is the Pakistani leadership is trying to divert the attention of the Indian govt for not initiating any step against G-B resolution? Many guess so. Secondly, with the Indian non-permanent member in the UNSC, it was expected that there is sufficient evidence to declare Pakistan as a terror sponsoring State. Of course, China will veto it, but their terror industry henceforth, will be in the international limelight. Thirdly, Pakistan wants to sting India with their ‘Peace-mantra’ in a different way. On the Indian land there are numerous characters whose anti-Modi stand have acquired an almost anti-national dimensions. We have witnessed this happening every now and then…like the tonts on surgical strike, Balacot strike, article 370 abrogation, CAA and so on. Some of their acts have been of such extent that Pakis found it appropriate to present it against India at the Human Rights Council meets. Thus, by releasing this ‘peace’ word, Imran has given some fodder to its cattle on Indian territories to once again…to start another anti-Govt debate in digital and print media. They are trying to show that Pakistan is the actual promoter of peace and Modi govt is opposing it. Whether the Modi govt bites the Paki bait or not, the Jaichands of our land are pooh-pooh. It has already served the Paki purpose. Soon Pakistan will claim on international forum that even Indian population has welcome their peace proposal but Indian Govt is averse to it.

All said, it has to be realised that Pakistan is our neighbour. Hence, any of its doing…whether for peace or war, cannot be wished away. However, Pak is a coward state. Overtly, it will neither opt peace nor war with India in the foreseeable future. They have mastered the art of the double speak and continue employing their fourth Arms…the Jihadi and Terrorist in future too. India being a civilised State, cannot reciprocate in the matching terms. Hence, there has to be a very firm resolve for India against Pakistan…that goes far beyond the considerations of peace or war; friend or foe. We must remain alert to any future Paki nefarious design.

Change of Paki heart will never take place overnight, of their inimical acts of more than half centuries against India. Every past efforts of peace by India have been misused and hijacked by the Pakis. They will now be solely responsible to earn Indian trust which presently, is abysmally low. The trust will have to grow up gradually…like a tender plant, with firm roots. Thereafter too, effort have to be made by both nations to continue watering the plant…with the renewed relationship. Then only one could hope of getting the flower and fruits in future. Otherwise, the plant will dry out. With Pakistan, India can never expect a perfect friendly behaviour but the differences could be narrowed to some extent. How long that narrowed distance will last, is anyone’s guess. We have to learn to live with this truth.