Whodunit? Any takers, Pakistan sponsors US leader’s visit to Pak and PoJK

New Delhi: It could sound bizarre, but such unthinkable things happen when Pakistan is involved in any international media craze game. It gets a boost when the other player (s) is or are – some American intellectuals or lawmakers. This was the case with Democrat MP Ilhan Omar’s visit to Pakistan, and then Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).

The United States did not sponsor her trip! Who did it? Well, Pakistan sponsored the trip.

The State Department sounded emphatically clear.

“As I understand it, Representative Omar is not visiting Pakistan on US government-sponsored travel, so I’d need to refer you to her office for questions on her travel,” US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have an official comment on this right now but will let you know if anything changes,” Jacklyn Rogers, press secretary in Ms Omar’s office, said on Thursday in response to mails and queries seeking details of her travel plans and sponsors.

What did Pakistan benefit? A few headlines momentarily.

India on Thursday slammed US Congresswoman Ms Omar’s visit to Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

“This visit is condemnable,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told reporters in New Delhi.

“We have noted that US Representative Ilhan Omar has visited a part of the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir that is currently illegally occupied by Pakistan,” he said, adding if such a politician wishes to practice “her narrow-minded politics at home, that maybe her business.”

Interestingly, Pakistan had toyed with the idea of enlisting the services of a US leader at a time when the outgoing dispensation in Islamabad (headed by Imran Khan) made a scathing attack on Americans for allegedly sponsoring the downfall of Imran’s dispensation.

Pakistan always rejoices in spreading falsehood and farcical narratives on Kashmir and often enlists the support of some lawmakers or intellectuals in the west. It has not helped Islamabad’s case.

At the same time, some Pakistani leaders and governments have used the Kashmir conflict to reinforce and strengthen the politics of ‘pan-Islamism’.

Pakistani governments have also used the so-called Kashmir issue with India to acquire its own domestic legitimacy or to ensure regime survival.

An experienced Twin Cities policy analyst, organiser, public speaker and advocate, Omar was sworn into office in January 2019, making her the first African refugee to become a Member of Congress. She is also one of the first two Muslim-American women elected to Congress. Omar has attracted controversies for her remarks and tweets on Kashmir earlier as well.

While ‘support’ for their spread of terrorism in Kashmir is fairly widespread in Pakistan, the politically dominant military and the religious parties are the strongest proponents and backers of the same.