Is Indian Govt Handling the Pakistan Terror Issues skilfully?

Today Pakistan largely stands in isolation on the world platform for its own deeds. It is largely regarded as a terror sponsoring State by most, if not all (baring of course, the radical Islamic nations). Some credit goes to the Modi govt (1.0) and some to Pakistan’s own wrong doing. Modi govts credit is in highlighting Pakistan as a terror-sponsoring state no longer be tolerated by India. Pakistan has been carrying out terrorist activities in India since late 80s but it is only since 2016 Uri attack that India has retaliated openly and firmly against the Jihadists keeping the world opinion in own favour. This had never happened earlier incl those after 26/11 as well as the Parliament attacks.

Pakistan’s own wrong doing has made it a ‘Terror Breeding Ground’ duly admitted by none other than its PM himself when Imran Khan acknowleged before US President Donald Trump during his visit to USA on 24 July 2019 that Pakistan had 30,000-40,000 terrorist on its ground belonging to 40 Jihadist tanzeems. Pakistan has been trying to play victim card of jihadi violence but it does not explain why its ISI is breeding Jihadi Tanzeems at dozens of Terror Training camps in Bahawalpur, Balakot and elsewhere? Today, any terrorist activity taking place anywhere in the world, has some or other thread links to Pakistan. As late as Dec 20 / Jan 21, the terrorists attack in France has links to Pakistan. Hence, very rightly, Pakistan is on the FATF radar for quiet some time owing to diverting the part of international funds/loans/aids towards financing of the terrorists. One wonders if being listed under FATF is enough for the Pakis. Their alternative sources of funding continue that include money from the Opium market, Jihadist controlled oil fields, international Zakats from various Islamic nations, state supported printing of counterfeit fake currencies and so on. It is still fresh in our memories that ISI-printed FICN were perfected over years to look as real as Indian currencies before Modi govt banned it. It is so puzzling why terror espousing nations like Pakistan, Iran, Saudi, Palestine, Yemen in this region with enough terror links, are not dragged in to the UNSC for being labelled as a Terrorist States. India being the worst victim of Pak based terror groups, has moral obligation to prepare the case at least against Pakistan. It is beyond logic why India is not working on these lines?

It must be realised that the Jihadists will do anything to evade US and UN sanctions. The moment any Jihadi group banned for their overt terror acts, they change names to evade sanctions and continue operating with impunity. 26/11 mastermind Hafeez Saed led LeT being banned by the UN, had earlier changed its name to JuD and recently to evade FATF sanction, they have renamed it to The Resistance Front (TRF). Similarly, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) operatesunder a new name, Tehreek-ul-Furqan; Fazlur Rehman headed Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, a U.N.-designated terror group rebranded itself as Harkat-ul-Ansar…and it continues for most if not all UN proscribed terror groups in Pakistan. All 73 sects of Islam have Jihadi Tanzeems of own.

Calling for terror attacks in India by the various Jihadi outfits in Pakistan is nothing new. It has become so routine that International communities as well as India itself has got used to it. Such calls in public are made by most of the UN proscribed terrorists and their groups. It is so bad that even Pakistani PM Imran Khan gives a call for Jihadi terror attacks in India on 04 Oct 2019. The threat was issued in public domain yet no action has been taken against him. The Indian MEA spokesperson seemed to be at comfort by only saying ‘it was not normal behaviour, unbecoming of office he held’. Such meek action by the Indian govt is highly condemnable.

India must realise that it has to fight for own safety. Pakistan has several Jihadi organisations most of which consider India as their target. What have various Indian govts done to ban them? Even USA and UNSC have banned more than a dozen of the Islamic terrorist organisations but how many of the foreign groups have been banned by Indian Parliament? None. How can we expecting USA and/or UNSC to declare Pakistan as a terror sponsoring state, without Indian Paliament having done so? How could we expect others to do our job? In fact, Indian govt has denied some of the private member’s bills by not supporting it in our own parliament to declare Pakistan a terror state. These are very unfortunate esp for Modi Govt who claims zero tolerance against terror.

The numerous reasons for UN designating Pak a Terror State:-

• Pak encouraging & supporting terrorist attacks against France, EU states.
• EU writing Pak to act against perpetrators of 26/11.
• Pak on FATF grey list ~2 yrs for terror funding, Likely to go on black list.
• Pak Min Fawad statement in Parliament of carrying out terror attacks in Pulwama. What about Parliament, Pathankot, Uri, Mumbai trains and dozens more since 80s?
• Pak harbouring 146 UN proscribed terrorists incl Hafiz Sayeed, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Masood Azhar (JeM) and the Haqqanis, apart from Dawood.
• Baised Pak Judiciary. Police hands-in-gloves with terrorists, don’t collect credible evidence. Hence, Omar Saeed+3 killers of US Journo Daniel Pearl freed by Paki SC.
• Jailing of some UN proscribed terrorist is an eye-wash for Pak Judiciary. They invariably walk free after sometime of house arrest (in Pak State Guest Houses).
• Banning of a terrorist organisation in Pak invariably leads to changing of its name.
• Imran acknowledging before US Presidents of having 40K terrorists in Pak and world should demand Audit of those (+Afgh returned) terrorists.
• Several Afgh & US intelligence reports confirm Pak support & link to terrorists.
• Open threat of terror acts against India by >dozen of Pak terrorist groups.
• Pak PM Imran Khan gives a call on 04 Oct 19 for Jihad against India.
• Most killed terrorists in India, having Pak links.
• Pak sent terrorists to fight for Azharbaijan against Armenia.
• Pak Army backed terrorists are waiting at Launch pads along LoC to infiltrate
• Pak terrorists operating in Afghan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar.
• Terror activities anywhere in world have some or other links tp Pak.
• Pakis kept Osama-bin-Laden close to ISI HQ in Abbottabad, fooling the world.
• Dozens of Terrorist training camps in Pak at Bahawalpur, Balakot & elsewhere.
• Tracking of the repeated weapon delivery to terrorists thru’ Drones.
• Pak Army re-commissioning of its terror camp at Balakot.
• Pakistan govt helped collection of funds from civilians for the terrorist groups.

Time has come when Indian govt must prepare a comprehensive dosier against Pakistan on the numerous evidence-based terror-related activities as mentioned in the text box above. More evidence available with the intelligence agencies of India or our friendly nations like Afghnistan, USA and so on, may be added. Some other nations in our neighbourhood affected by Pakistan based terrorists may also be persuaded to compile separate dossiers unequivocally linking the Pak sponsoring of the terrorist acts. Afghanistan and Bangladesh will be more than willing to do so.

Copies of these dosier must be presented to the respective parliaments to bring-in appropriate Bills to declare Pakistan a ‘Terrorist or Terror Sponsoring State’. India, Afghanistan and Bangladesh will be more than willing to do it. Even if the others are unwilling for Islamic reasons, India should go ahead with it. Copies of the dosier must be circulated to the FATF for black-listing them and also to the UNSC to declare them a terrorist state. It will be a laudable act of our diplomacy if Afghanistan and Bangladesh also approach UNSC with their own dossiers on Pakistan. Of course, China may apply ‘Veto’ in initial attempts, but effort must continue in our national interest.