The Indian tirade

Terrorism in any form can never and should never be condoned. Any act of violence which results in the loss of life is deplorable and condemnable. Irrespective of religious, ethnic and other affiliations, the loss of human life is the annihilation of humanity. Be it the countless acts of terror witnessed in Pakistan or the attack on the military convoy in Pulwama, terrorism in general is despised.

The blood of the dozens killed in Pulwama is a loss, not to the Indian nation, but to humanity. Condemning an act of terror is the first move in the aftermath, however when a nation moves beyond and reacts in an unwarranted way, then the alarm bells ring. India’s immediate reaction in the aftermath of the attack was nothing short of a childish tirade. Without having ascertained the factual scenario or even proper commencement of the investigations, the Indian state started pointing their dirty fingers towards Pakistan.

The magnetic pull drawn against us takes little time before the Indians start blaming Pakistan for any event occurring on their land. The reactions fortify the lack of diplomatic etiquette prevalent in India. Without care for the consequences of any statement, the Indians lead the tirade against Pakistan, any chance they get.

The shock and grief that they feel, in the aftermath of the attack, is understandable and our deepest sympathies are extended to the families who lost their loves ones. However, setting out on war footing without verifying the authenticity of their accusations puts the region into a dangerous level of instability. The security of the region is jeopardised and put at risk. Pakistan will always remain calm and focused however, not at the cost of frivolous allegations putting us in the same league with the terrorists.

Pakistan has time and again pleaded that terrorism finds its roots in non-state actors who have a mandate to hamper the peace at large. These elements do not serve the agenda of a nation but rather focus on keeping nations at loggerheads. This fact unfortunately escapes the minds of our Indian friends who continue with their illiterate statements which are mostly focused to gain public traction.

The prime minister of their country immediately resorted to threatening Pakistan without even analysing the ground realities of the attack

The oppressed people of Kashmir have blood of vengeance gushing through their veins. If their families are desecrated in front of them each passing day, they will react. Unfortunately, for the Indians, they only have to get lucky once. And they did. Even the world at large is not ready to take up the outrageous violations of law and humanity being undertaken by the Indian government in occupied Kashmir. A constant state of curfew prevails to curb the protests that are taken out against the Indian occupation. The cries of the children and women who are violated by Indian soldiers are unheard and yet PM Modi has the audacity to blame Pakistan for involvement.

On the other hand, if Pakistan was indeed successful in smuggling such a huge amount of explosives into Indian occupied Kashmir, then it will serve as the biggest embarrassment for the Indian military for their failure to counter the same. When Pakistan puts forward evidence of actual state sponsored terrorism by India in the shape of Kulbushan Jadhav, the western world isn’t too keen to appreciate that. Yet, when India throws a tantrum, then words of support are immediately heard.

Such hypocritical attitude is never going to bring lasting peace in the region. We do not even have to respond to the allegations, accusations and threats being hurled towards us. The world at large and specifically India is well aware of Pakistan’s capabilities to protect itself. As I have reiterated countless times, this is no Afghanistan or Iraq which can be invaded overnight. At best, the Indians can play out false surgical strikes like last time.

Being one of the biggest victims of terror ourselves, we Pakistanis can feel the pain of losing our loved ones to terror. The Pakistani military and other departments coupled with civilians have flown rivers of blood facing terrorism. Concrete evidence reflecting Indian hand in most of those events is also present however, Pakistan being a responsible nation refrains from lashing out at our eastern neighbor without proper due diligence.

The state has never encouraged terrorism anywhere around the globe despite facing foreign sponsored terrorism on our land. Emotions might be running high, but India should not test Pakistan’s patience and resolve by defaming us without a reason. Statements should be issued with responsibility within the parameters of diplomatic protocol.

In all likelihood, the suicide bomber may have been motivated by the barbarism being meted out to the Kashmiris without any Pakistani support. India’s knee jerk reaction to blame Pakistan is nothing more than a stunt keeping in mind the upcoming general elections. It gives Modi a slogan to campaign.

Otherwise, the threat of diplomatic isolation is an empty threat with no legs to stand upon. China to begin with will side with Pakistan. Even the USA, at the moment, will not like to go on Pakistan’s wrong side considering the latter’s key role in the US-Taliban talks which are scheduled to take place in Islamabad too. Similarly, India has zero military options to pursue against us considering the Pakistani military’s capabilities and readiness. They simply cannot afford a war with us.

In such circumstances, India can at best cry alone. It would be more prudent if the Indian government was to re-evaluate its strategy in occupied Kashmir and put an end to the atrocities against the Kashmiri people. In the greater interests, the end to state-sponsored terrorism in India might even bring about lasting peace in the region.