When we started the bus service to Lahore, it was to improve relations. I went as an emissary of peace. I have told the Pakistani leadership that it seems that while I talked peace with you, you were preparing to attack our borders. We still believe in peace, but you cannot clap with one hand”
– Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in his statement on Kargil War on June 1, 1999
The day of July 17, 2019, is certainly a dark one for Pakistan. The deepening crisis on multiple fronts is visible. The Kulbhushan Jadhav Case and arrest of Hafeez Saeed are clear signs of Pakistan getting cornered. The events preceded that like the opening of the air space for Bharat bound planes and removal of the Khalistani supporter Gopal Chawla from the Kartarpur Committee further show the desperation of the troubled neighbour. How should Bharat respond to this? Can we believe that Pakistan will soften its anti-Bharat action? To get the answers, we need to put the situation in perspective.
The strategy of Bharat to corner Pakistan on every possible front is turning out to be fruitful. After giving peace a chance, the Modi Government successfully shifted the foreign policy focus from Pakistan to the larger issue of terrorism. The multilateral and bilateral relations with all major players in the world are in a dynamic and vibrant shape. On the other hand, the Pakistan economy is tumbling, and no one is there to bail out without a reciprocal price. The terror epicentre is already under the grey list of Financial Action Task Force and scrutiny for not pushing further in the blacklist. The surgical strike, followed by Airstrike in Balakot, has also created pressure from the within. For the first time, the Pakistani military and their business establishments are facing the heat of the economic strains. Balochistan is on the boil, Sindh is asserting for rights, and the human rights situation in Pakistan occupied Jammu-Kashmir (PoJK) is coming to the fore.
The impact of the verdict given by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the Kulbhushan Jadhav case and arrest of Hafeez Saeed should be seen in this context. Pakistan is proved to be the violator of the Geneva Convention in the ICJ verdict. The human rights record and the hypocrisy of the military-run Kangaroo courts in Pakistan are also exposed. The directive of ensuring a free and fair trial to Kulbhushan Jadhav along with the Consular access has not just vindicated the Bharatiya position in the case but also proved that the systems in Pakistan are not in tune with the international standards. Similarly, first time Hafeez Saeed is arrested by the Counter-Terrorism Department of Pakistan; earlier his arrests used to be a mockery by local police. A clear case of accepting the Mumbai attack mastermind as a terrorist.
Are these signs good enough to believe that Pakistan will mend its behaviour and not allow its soil to breed terrorism, especially against Bharat? The answer is clear, NO! The very existence of Pakistan is dependent on anti-Bharat narrative. ‘We are Pakistan because we are not Bharat’, was the basic premise that led to the Partition. The military is the torchbearer of that philosophy to keep its hold over society. Unless there is a change from within and Pakistan as a society shows the clear sign of reversing the trend and construct a positive idea of existence, there is no point in believing the little bit of softening and succumbing to the pressure. Pakistan has deceived the world many times, and after the Lahore Bus initiative, Kargil was the clear case of deception and betrayal. So, Pakistan is exposed, and we should keep exposing the rotten systems of the rogue State not just to the world but even to the Pakistan people. That will be the real way of celebrating ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas’.
@PrafullaKetkar
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