- Economic clout commands respect
There were two reasons to observe September 6 as Kashmir Solidarity Day. The Kashmiri people have to be reassured at this psychological moment that they are not alone and that Pakistan stands behind them. There is also a need to tell the world that Pakistan wants a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue as against India which has unilaterally changed the status of IOK, an internationally recognised disputed territory, and is hurling threats of war at Pakistan.
COAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa sent a strong message reassuring the Kashmiris in IOK that Pakistan will not leave them alone and the country’s armed forces are ready to render any sacrifice for them. While noting that there are clouds of war over the Subcontinent, General Bajwa did not rule out the possibility of peace and prosperity through dialogue, which remains Pakistan’s priority. This was meant to tell the world that unlike a warmongering India, Pakistan is a peace-loving country that wants to resolve its disputes through parleys. The COAS paid tributes to those who died defending the motherland against foreign aggression and fighting the terrorists who challenge the writ of the state, again reminding the world that Pakistan had paid a heavy price in its fight against terrorism.
In his message Prime Minster Imran Khan warned the world of the consequences if Indian atrocities in Kashmir were ignored. He also emphasised that Kashmir was Pakistan’s jugular vein and the alteration of its status by revoking Article 370 posed challenges to Pakistan’s security and integrity. On Thursday the PM had asked in a tweet, “Is the international community’s humanity dead when Muslims are being persecuted?” The silence on Kashmir has no religious connotations. As Foreign Minister Qureshi put it at a press conference in Muzaffarabad, even the guardians of the ummah do not want to annoy India on account of its economic clout. No country wants to be lectured by a leader carrying a begging bowl. To command respect in international community Mr Khan has to divert his total attention and most of the country’s resources to turning Pakistan into an advanced industrialised state with a fairly high employment rate and a well-to-do middle class.
