Indian Army Chief’s remarks have created immense tension in the region. Unfortunately, it was at a critical time, when there was a hope for a new round of peace talks. The newly elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, in his maiden speech on 26 July, mentioned specifically to improve relations with all neighbors, including India. Indian Prime Minister also sent him a greeting letter, which was warmly welcomed and conceived as a message of peace. Water talks were held in a very cordial environment, although it was fruitless but the atmosphere was friendly. There were chances of a meeting between the two foreign ministers on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.
Surprisingly, on 22nd September India disappointed and rejected the steps for a peace initiative taken by the Pakistani government and retracted from the planned meeting arrogantly by making an excuse of the issuance of stamps in the memory of the slain Kashmiri freedom fighters. This event was staged as the stamps were issued before the new government came into power and were already in circulation. The issue was highlighted just to find an excuse to not talk. One must understand that this is not a love story where people don’t talk because of misunderstandings, talks are in the greater interest of the 1.5 Billion people humanity living in both India and Pakistan. It seems that a deliberate effort was made by the Indian establishment to sabotage the meeting, just after the consent of meeting between the two foreign ministers and the Indian Army Chief was to play a role in that, which he did very well.
Not the first time
However, it is not the first time India disappointed Pakistan. Many a time in the past Indians have boycotted and backtracked from their diplomatic commitments, it rather seems Indians are habitual of sabotaging peace efforts. What so ever may be the reason, but de-tracking from peace means a lot to Pakistan.
Both India and Pakistan are nuclear states and have lethal weapons. If there will be any kind of misadventure from India, Pakistan reserves the right to respond. India may have planned a limited war, but once it starts, nobody can control its scale and scope. Pakistan may choose its course of action whatever suits it. The matter of concern is that it might not be limited to only Pakistan and India this time, and a conflict might engulf the whole region.
India has spent billions of dollars to get the latest weapons and technologies. The US, after declaring India as a Major Defense Partner (MDP), is also assisting India to maintain a defense supremacy in this region. Under this scenario, an over-ambitious India might think of a misadventure or to distract the Indian public from domestic issues might try to undertake military stunts. India is facing major insurgencies, injustice and intolerance against lower caste and minorities, human right violation, especially in Kashmir, has exposed the true face of India’s Democracy to the rest of the world.
UN report on Kashmir
The United Nations first-ever Human rights report was published this year and it was a bomb-shell on the so called Indian democracy. There were fourteen chapters for various abuses committed by the Indian state on the people of Kashmir. The report outlines; lack of access to justice, military courts, detentions, killings, torture, pellet firing, forced disappearances, and sexual violence. These are a perfect case for a UN criminal case against the Government of India. The report was compiled by global experts from the UN having no bias at all whatsoever. India cannot be allowed face-saving at the expense of Pakistan.
Request to the global community
We sincerely request the UN, the International community and all civilized individuals with consciousness, to press India to stop human right violations, injustice, intolerance, terrorism, and suppression of people in Kashmir and other minorities.
The whole region is facing poverty in general, but in India especially, the common man is facing lack of food, lack of educational facilities, lack of adequate health care, lack of clean drinking water, lack of sanitation services, lack of appropriate housing etc., but this does not stop India from making multi-billion dollar defense deals and that too at the expense of the common man.
Pakistan by default is peace-loving state and we always extend our hands of friendship to anyone who so ever desires. Pakistan has tried many times in the history of 7 decades to establish normal relations with India, but every time disappointed by India. We need to fight against poverty, hunger, illiteracy, and injustice. We need to focus on the provision of adequate food, good education, and proper health care to every citizen. We must reduce our defense budget and increase the budget for socio-economic development. We wish that India may think in the same manner and also rescues its deprived citizens.
Once again, we strongly appeal the UN, International Community and all civilized individuals with human conscious, to proactively approach India and take all necessary measures to prevent blood-shed and big disaster in the region.
