Referring to the need to intensify Pakistani narrative about Jammu and Kashmir that Pakistan has concocted over the past 73 years, former air vice-marshal Shahzad Chaudry concluded his article, which was full of baseless accusations regarding National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, with the following words: ‘It is time we re-introduce our script’.
Two words caught my attention while I read the last sentence of the former Pakistani air marshal’s article. First was the word “re-introduce” and the second was “script”. I would like to discuss them in reverse order.
It is common knowledge among history fans and students who have a keen interest in the affairs of Jammu and Kashmir that on October 22, 1947, Pakistan Army along with thousands of tribal lashkars launched an unprovoked surprise attack on our state of Jammu and Kashmir.
For the attack to be portrayed by Pakistan as a legitimate approach to an imaginary revolt by Muslims of Poonch and Muzafarabad against imaginary communal bloodshed by Hindus, Pakistan made up a story that the Muslims in Kashmir have called them for help.
Hence a script was written which was performed by Pakistan’s handpicked local actors one of whom Sardar Ibrahim Khan was given the lead role. He was later to become the first president of Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
On October 26, Maharaja Hari Singh signed an instrument of accession with India and by nightfall, Indian troops began to arrive in Srinagar to defend us against the invaders. For lack of space and to do justice to our topic I will not delve into the nitty-gritty of the affairs that took place which led to a criminal ceasefire between India and Pakistan, however, I would like to draw your attention to the ‘script’ which the air marshal is referring to.
Pakistan has since portrayed herself as a victim of Indian atrocities. It has played the victim card and used it to galvanise support among 56 Muslim majority Arab states making them to believe that India had somehow invaded Jammu and Kashmir, while the truth is diagonally opposite. India has never encroached an inch of its neighbours land.
Since the abrogation of article 370 and 35A from the Indian constitution, Pakistan has suffered from diplomatic frostbites as the Muslim majority Arab counties have refused to take sides with Pakistan against India.
On the contrary, they have made huge strides toward investing in the newly emerging Asian economic giant that believes in Sanatani norms of business i.e. friendship primary,business secondary or friendship not competition. Hence the need for Pakistani establishment to “re-introduce” the “script”!
Shahzad Chaudry has depicted Pakistan as the protagonist and Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval as an antagonist for the new script Pakistan plans to re-introduce.
Once again facts are conveniently twisted. There is no siege going on in Kashmir, there is no Indian involvement in Imran Khan’s poor economic performance that has led to the formation of Pakistan Democratic Movement and India has not ordered Pakistan army to massacre innocent Pashtuns and Baloch and orchestrated human right activists and political dissent to be killed extrajudicially.
But who cares what the fact is. For Pakistan to re-introduce the old script based on lies and fabricated by its central ministry of disinformation called ISPR is a routine matter.
However, unlike previous decades the world has unanimously refused to buy into these false narratives. It was reflected in their acceptance of the Indian government’s initiative in abrogating the article 370 and 35A. Not a single Arab country stood by Pakistani hue and cry, not a single session of Organisation of Islamic Community (OIC) was called, not a single Pakistan sponsored resolution was able to make its way into the United Nations Security Council and not a single anti 370 abrogation protest was taken out in the valley of Kashmir.
On the contrary, people rejoiced the decision of the BJP government in Jammu and in Ladakh as well as in the valley itself.
Today a new generation of Kashmiri youth has sprung on the political and social scene of Jammu and Kashmir. This new generation of young men and women is taking strides in assisting with the implementation of development projects right across the Union territory. And that is exactly what is bothering Pakistani military establishment. Their 73 years of evil doings are crumbling right in front of their eyes.
Hence, the need to ‘re-introduce’ the ‘script’ has born out of the necessity to reignite the flames of hate based on Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s communal two-nation theory.
It is this context that former air marshal’s article has been published in Pakistan. It is acontinuation of the press conference held by Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in which he unsuccessfully tried to malign India.
Former air marshal’s attempt to name Ajit Doval as the man behind Pakistan’s disastrous social and political upheaval stands no ground. The Baloch have been up in arms against the Pakistani state since 1948, the Pashtuns since the formation of the Durand line and the Sindhis since the 1970s.
Pakistan is a country that is dying due to its self inflicted wounds caused by a thousand cuts it has executed on its decaying body. Long periods of military rule, nurturing jihadists, exporting terrorists, initiating proxy wars in Afghanistan and Jammu Kashmir and the parasitic exploitation of the human and natural resources of its provinces have reduced Pakistan down to a failed state.
To blame Doval will not work. The people of Pakistan know who is responsible for their misery. Although the PDM might become successful in bringing Imran khan government down, however, what is needed is to deliver a death blow to the whole terrorist infrastructure build on the foundations of the Pakistan military establishment.
(The writer is a human rights activist from Mirpur in PoK. He currently lives in exile in the UK – ANI)
