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| Pakistan's Moves in Kashmir expose its Frustration and Export of Terror | | | Col. Anil Bhat, VSM (retd) | 8/13/2016 10:47:43 PM |
| Yet another desperate attempt was made from Pakistan to further incite people of Kashmir Valley to raise and widen the ongoing unrest there following Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander Burhan Wani's killing. On 01 August 2016, Pakistan's largest religious organization and one of its mainstream political parties, Jamat-e-Islami (JeI), the, led by its leader, Senator Siraj-Ul-Haq and other terrorist leaders marched from Lahore to 8 kms short of the Wagah border near Amritsar to hold a rally.
Ranting venomously against India to the crowd at the rally which reportedly rose to ten thousand, HM's'supreme commander' Syed Salahuddin (actively supported by Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI)), urged Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to immediately "suspend trade and diplomatic ties" with India and asked why the Pakistani government invited India's Home Minister, Rajnath Singh to the SAARC conference. Members of Jamat-ud-Dawa(JuD), led by Hafiz Saeed (also head of Lashkar e Taiyyaba (LeT) and prime perpetrator of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack) and some Hurriyat/Kashmiri separatist leaders were also seen taking active part in the rally, giving anti-India hate speeches and threats of violent resistance to Rajnath Singh's visit. "In Shaa Allah, we will do everything to stop him", said Salahuddin, while protest organizer Senator Siraj-Ul-Haq called on the Pakistan government to ban Rajnath Singh's visit. The organizers even made children holding toy guns participate in the rally. Saeed, whose 26/11 Mumbai attack was widely aimed against not only Indians but foreigners, particularly American and Jews separately, is on the United States' most wanted list with a $10 million bounty.
Ironically, Jamat-ud-Dawa is on Pakisatan government's 'Terror Watchlist' while HuM is a declared banned militant organization as per the Pakistan Interior Ministry records. Yet, they freely hold protests and rallies in major cities of Pakistan. JeI is planning to hold another such march and rally on 15 August 2016, from Muzaffarabad to Chakothi in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.
Also on 01 August 2016, thousands of people in Kashmir Valley reportedly reached the Karimabad graveyard in Pulwama district, following a call given jointly by hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, so-called 'moderate' faction leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Yasin Malik to pay tributes to the terrorists killed during the recent unrest. Abu Dujana, the most wanted terrorist of LeT was also reported to have participated in the gathering, wearing a mask and surrounded by many people, as pro-freedom and anti India slogans were raised with the waving of Pakistani and LeT flags.
It may be pertinent to mention that while in 2015, there were 117 attempts by Pakistani terrorists supported by ISI to infiltrate across the Line of Control (LoC) into Kashmir Valley of which 33 were successful, in 2016, till July itself, there have been 80 attempts of which 54 were successful. These have led to 96 terrorists being killed in 2015 and 93 being killed till July end in 2016, both near the LoC and the hinterland. Only about 170 terrorists remaining in the Valley after such attrition is a major reason for increase in frustration/desperation by ISI and terrorist leaders.
According to Daanish Bin Nabi, who wrote 'South Kashmir Becoming Hotbed Of Terrorism' in Daily O (online), elders are wary of the emerging discontent, and its manifestations. While they believe that the political, economic and social rights of the youth have been compromised by the state government, they blame social media tools like WhatsApp and Facebook for playing an important role in the recruitment of militants and in radicalising the Kashmiri youth. He also stated that after Burhan uploaded his video in early September2015, in Nizampora, Shopian itself, terrorist organisations recruited 17 youths.
On Pakistan's role in Kashmir, its "non state actors" (NSAs) and use of social media, what Mohammad Shehzad, one of Pakistan's bold journalists who this writer has interacted with, stated in his piece titled 'The War Within'(December 2013 issue of Newsline), is very relevant: "…the ground reality is that we are a state at war with itself, a state sans the state's writ. The society is being governed by non-state actors - terrorists, religious extremists, clerics and criminals. The state has cowardly ceded its writ to non-state actors, of which the most powerful are the jihadis and sectarian outfits who are exceedingly well-organised down to the street level. …. violence against Shias and Ahmediyas, terrorist attacks against hapless civil populace by Tehrik e Taliban Pakistan and a large number of jihadi outfits, including those meant specifically for anti-India operations has been business as usual, despite claims of disbandment of some of the outfits, which have merely been changing names and street locations. The Nawaz Sharif government's promises about tackling terrorism and sectarianism amount to naught, because at least 55 of its members represent some or the other jihadi outfits, with the TTP being a major factor". Shehzad also wrote that during the tenure of People's Party of Pakistan (PPP), jihadis/sectarian outfits started making use of the social media to extend their dangerous mission, not only in Pakistan, but across the world. However, instead of banning the provocative pages, the PPP government blocked all those Facebook pages and Twitter accounts that raised concerns about the rising militancy and sectarianism in the country. The electronic media too played a very negative role by glorifying the jihadi/sectarian militants, added Shehzad.
Some very interesting and significant inputs on the current situation came from senior Kashmiri journalists this writer interacted with, whose names are not mentioned for the sake of their safety. One is about a very recent incident in North Kashmir, where an Army officer's reaction to grave provocation was highly praised. A violent crowd converged on an army post shouting anti-India/'Azadi (freedom) slogans and throwing stones. When the officer came out and requested the crowd to stop stoning, one of the ring-leaders came up to him and slapped him. The officer surprised the agitators by not reacting aggressively and urging the crowd to listen to him. He conveyed that while it was very easy for him to react by firing on the crowd with telling effect, but he did not do so as he considered them as his own countrymen who are agitated. Explaining that army could not grant them Azadi, but that their demands should be addressed to the government. In this situation, if the officer had ordered his troops to fire, the public reaction would have spread very widely in North Kashmir. "This officer's very mature and patient handling of the situation despite great provocation, saved many lives…hats off to him , " said the journalist.
Yet another input and suggestion coming from a journalist who this writer had an extended discussion with was that (a) all political leaders whose constituencies were affected should have visited them/ there has been no "political management" so necessary at such a time and (b) that putting the entire disturbed area under army's control will eventually go a long way in diffusing the situation, which so far seems to have been "handed over on a platter" to the ISI, Paksitani jihadi leaders and Kashmiri separatists.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken, albeit over a month late, with appealing sentiments of "insaniyat" (humanity/humanism) , "jamhooriyat" (republic/democtacy), Kashmiriyat (spirit of Kashmir), "India loves Kashmir….only some have been mislead" and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's initiative. BJP's National General Secretary Ram Madhav has been reaching out in Srinagar. While there is no doubt about robust political initiative and reaching out to sooth hearts and minds, there are steps required on the ground which will require political will with deftness. Greater involvement of the Army has been debated and it will be required.
No talks are going to succeed without disabling the apparatus which keeps Pakistan supported terrorism and inciting public to violence functioning smoothly. And a major part of this apparatus are Kashmiri separatists and their network, which must be neutralized. Because, even if they participate in talks, it will only be a great sham, as they will remain loyal to Pakistan. They are beholden to Pakistan not merely ideologically and not only with large amounts of money to organize terror/instability/motivation, but also by way of receiving very generous gifts and favours. All of them have their children settled abroad.
Crowd/riot control should have been/should be done by batons and shields, tear gas or water cannons and not shotguns with birdshot, which the CRPF procured some years ago.
Media must stop eulogizing/lionizing terrorists, must report correctly/in a balanced manner, show the plight of victims of terrorism and not be mindlessly be driven by TRPs, sensationalism or circulation figures. Unfiltered/unedited footage by audio-visual media can cause much damage as during the 29/11 terrorist attack on Mumbai. And last but not least, innovative use must be made of the same social media which was misused by ISI and separatists for radicalizing Kashmiri youth. Having interviewed many Kashmiri children brought on all-India tours by the Army and BSF over the past two decades, one can say that all is not lost and there is hope for retrieval. And now no time should be lost in necessary steps for security and launching of positive projects. - WordSword Features |
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