The recent actions initiated by the Government of Pakistanagainst the terror establishment on the land under its control must be lookedpositively. Pakistan is definitely at a crossroads but it has an opportunity aswell to reorient itself. Pakistan over the last four decades has been activelyinvolved in both kinds of businesses rightly or wrongly. The terror and the diplomacyaround the terror.
The advisers within its establishment and the politicianswho ruled the country went with the flow of compulsions the “cruel”time produced before it. Ever since the inception, Pakistan did not take anindependent position regarding its role and status in the region. Itunfortunately went with US, UK, NATO and other strategic alliances from time totime which were, in fact, crafted by the super powers keeping in view their ownstrategic, diplomatic and political gains in the region and outside the region.It is a disaster when a nation allows its national policy to be guided by thevested interests of the foreign elements and forces and particularly when theykeep on pumping money and ammunition to the country in demand.
Pakistan, fortunately for itself, is a geographical hub ofsensitive political landscape which was recognised by the outside powers abinitio. Pakistan could not gauge its geographic and strategic placement mostlybecause it continued to harbour some “out of box” love for Kashmir.Its love for Kashmir was manifested in ill-advised wars and positions againstIndia and ultimately on a doctrine that was recognised as “Inflictingthousand cuts”.
India used seven decades of its independence, despite andinspite of political differences within, to create for itself a situation thatthe world would recognise it as a strategic and political power in the Asiancontext. It did successfully what it was supposed to do in international anddiplomatic affairs particularly during the last five years.
The actions of UN and the super powers against Pakistan oversome couple of years are a reflection of this policy focus of India. The UnitedNations Security Council (UNSC) declaring Masood Azhar as Global Terroristinitiates a Herculean Task for Pakistan to accomplish its “internationalpromises” to the satisfaction of the world powers.
This time Pakistan, despite insistence, could not persuadeChina to whisk away under the umbrella of Veto Power in the Security Council.It now becomes mandatory for Pakistan to be answerable to the neighbourhoodfirst, keeping in view the recent situations emerging in India and Sri Lanka.
There is a wide agreement among most of the nations worldover that Pakistan keep its hands off from the internal matters of India inKashmir. Since India has proven its intent after the Pulwama carnage to go toany extent possible, Pakistan should showcase its intent to bring terrorists,active on its soil, before the justice system. Their terror infrastructure,financial mechanism and links with the politico-military establishment requireto be severed. The world powers including India may demand to bring theculprits presently hidden in Pakistan before the global justice platformincluding the International Criminal Court and ICJ.
Pakistan also should come clean on the facts as it wasrecently termed as a country that “created terrorist groups to be a tool intheir struggle against India” by former CIA director, Michael Morell. Theimpact of Pakistan’s decision to adopt terrorism as a part of its foreignpolicy and “policy in terms of India” had a huge toll in Kashmir after Punjab,three decades ago.
It needs to be acknowledged that the future governments inIndia will be ordained to pursue the existing policy of “zero tolerance againstterror” and “terror and talks won’t go together”. There is no policyalternative than what has been crafted in the current context by the presentgovernment in India with a focus on the earlier commitment of Pakistan that “itwill not allow the soil under its control to be used against India”.
It is time for Pakistan to, in its own interest, desist fromthe repetition of 1971 and Imran Khan, the PM of Pakistan, needs to come out ofthe “Yahya Khan shadow” as soon as possible lest “seven states doctrine” in thecontext of Pakistan may regenerate itself as soon as possible. Unfortunatelyfor Pakistan this time, its economy is in shambles, its debt has crossed theadvisable limits and the inflationary situation in Pakistan does not match theglobal markets.
Recent address of Imran Khan to the bureaucrats of Pakistanis an eye opener to the experts of economy, politics, defence and strategy inPakistan to reorient their beaten path and take humanitarian view of what isparamount for the State of Pakistan. It has a Golden chance available to itselfto finish the menace of terrorism that has bleeded its neighbouhood and itscountry of origin besides sending a message world wide that Pakistan remainsthe epicentre of global terrorism.
Pakistan is supposed to catch the bull by the horns and ifit does, it has the open space to write a new history for itself and theregion. But keeping in view the past, the question assumes a million dollarvalue whether Pakistan does its duty towards the generations to come……!