Pressure mounting post Indian transgression
UN Secretary General’s spokesperson has exposed India’s claim of launching a surgical operation by maintaining that the UN mission monitoring the ceasefire “has not directly observed” any firing along the LoC. By Sunday, India had failed to produce footage of the operation, with an embarrassed Indian Home Minister asking media persons to wait and watch. The delay would lead some to opine that India was in fact busy manufacturing evidence. The Indian propaganda was further exposed by the ISPR which took 40 Pakistani and foreign journalists to two of the seven places avowedly targeted by India. New Delhi was challenged to do the same on its side. The DG ISPR said escalation and war mongering do not suit anyone and accused India of indulging in war rhetoric.
Nawaz Sharif has convened a meeting of all parliamentary leaders on Monday to evolve a joint response on Kashmir and the tense LoC situation The meeting is meant to send a message to the world that the entire nation is on the same page on the issue of lending political and moral support to the Kashimiris’ struggle for self determination and opposition to any aggressive act by India. There is a need for all parliamentary leaders to attend the meeting irrespective of their differences with the government. One expects Imran Khan also to participate. Keeping in view the tension on the border, the PTI would do well to postpone its proposed post-Moharram shut down of Islamabad.
While the Uri terrorist attack was universally condemned, it is disturbing to note that the unprovoked firing across the LoC which killed two Pakistani army men and injured nine failed to elicit international censure. The US State Department called on both sides for restraint but admonished Pakistan publicly and directly not to talk about using nuclear weapons in conflict with India. The comment strengthens the perception of Pakistan getting isolated. This is a serious matter which should also be taken up at the meeting called by the prime minister.