New Delhi has to draw out a battle-ready strategy to fight IS-Taliban‐ISI brands of terror and need to be on guard as sustained efforts are being made to make Kashmir bleed yet again.
New Delhi: It's not a usual round of the downturn. Pakistan is indeed in a crisis and has caused immense discontent within. The leadership is getting more and more frustrated day by day, and for it, any sincere effort to fight terrorism is like "pinning jelly to a wall".
This sounds more like an American phrase, and this was the language Islamabad echoed for a long time. But it no longer understands Americans, and so the "mantra" (of course an Indian and Hindu terminology) is let us go the China way. Communists by nature, either in India or China, are masters in double standards and present an enigmatic image. The Imran Khan regime seemed to learn this from dragon mentors. And so came a so-called National Security Policy.
Imran Khan himself released a part of it, stating that it took seven years to prepare the same. That's purely an internal matter of Pakistan. But whether 7 years or 7 hours, some of it, as stated in the NSP on India related issues, are on predictable grounds. Most of these also sound a defeatist tale on the Kashmir front and one that Pakistan excels in the doublespeak.
Pakistanis 'sympathizers' in India and outside say some wordings are in tune with the Indian policy stand. They are waiting for some auspicious occasions to ask why the Modi regime is not responding in the 'right spirit'. They forget Islamabad's well known slippery kind of statements and actions on these in the past. Thus the argument from New Delhi's perspective would be that there is no point in swearing by the NSP of Pakistan that seeks good ties with India.
The isolation of Pakistan in SAARC and other fora are costing Islamabad extremely. The FATF sword hangs, and on the other hand, Afghanistan is turning into a major issue. There is also a patron dragon's breath on the shoulders.
Imran, the Indian government and perhaps the rest of the world know one thing that while elsewhere, politicians interfere in the affairs of the military, but in Pakistan, it's a role reversal. The army interferes in political or civilian matters.
India's troubles in dealing with Pakistan exactly begin with this. No matter how much Pakistani political leadership is convinced to improve ties and boost business with India, none in the Pak army or the ISI want these things to fructify. They also don't want a solution to the Kashmir problem. The menacing grip the Pak army holds on Pak civilian and political life will end with a solution to its Kashmir problem. Hence, India has to handle such a belligerent neighbour, which is again a China-sponsored Nuclear nation. It is an open secret that an elected government in Islamabad is hardly allowed a leeway from the military generals.
Thus, even the Ufa statement after the Modi-Nawaz Sharif meeting and which had no reference to Kashmir in the ultimate did create problems for Sharif. In the joint statement on July 15, 2015, both sides had agreed to have a "collective responsibility" to ensure peace and promote development. It also said, "to do so, and they are prepared to discuss all outstanding issues". Some elements in Pakistan did not approve the statement, as the 'Kashmir' word was missing.
Now the writing is finally clear on the wall. In dealing with Pakistan either in diplomatic talks or in pursuing business interests, New Delhi has to draw out a battle-ready strategy to fight IS-Taliban‐ISI brands of terror. These elements now want to kill people, create a fear psychosis, and silence people into submission.
PM Modi has proved twice his 'Iron Man' image in September 2016 (surgical strike) and Balakot air strike in February 2019. Still, India needs to be on guard as sustained efforts are being made to make Kashmir bleed yet again. At the same time, India's northeast is a vulnerable region. This should get due attention. Statistics wise, the year 2021 saw the deaths of 33 civilians in military actions or clashes in the northeast. In 2019, it was 20, and in 2020 only three.
