What’s the next step?
The prime minister convened the meeting of the heads of Pakistan’s parliamentary parties at a time when tension between Pakistan and India was continuing to rise. India claimed that it had seized a boat with Pakistani fishermen in the Arabian Sea off Gujrat; there was a terrorist attack on an Indian battalion HQs in Braramula killing a BSF man and there was another exchange of fire across the LoC. The meeting was convened by Nawaz Sharif to send a signal that the country was united against Indian aggression and its atrocities in occupied Kashmir. Despite serious difference with some of the ruling party’s policies all political parties announced total support for the government on the two issues. The support is clearly expressed in the joint declaration.
War between India and Pakistan cannot resolve the Kashmir issue, nor will the attacks launched by the terrorists. The Uri attack was condemned vociferously among others by Pakistan’s all whether friend China. The world is fed up with terrorist attacks. The Uri attack shifted international media’s attention from the heroic protests of the Kashmiri people that have continued unabated over the last 88 days. Silencing unarmed protesters by recourse to disproportionate force including use of pellet guns, raises serious questions about India’s credentials as world’s largest democracy. A Pakistani flag raised by freedom fighters in occupied Kashmir harms India’s position more than any act of violence. A terrorist attack on the other hand makes India look like a victim.
On Wednesday a joint parliamentary session will discuss the Indian aggressive actions across the LoC along with the prevailing situation in occupied Kashmir. The opposition has in fact been demanding the holding of the session for the last two months. The PML-N government needs to abandon its informal way of dealing with crucial national issues which has weakened the government and has led it to yield its turf to other institutions. The government can regain its lost terrain by strengthening the Parliament as the sole forum authorised to formulate national policies.
