Mohammad Jamil
mjamil1938@hotmail.com
Presiding over the corps commanders’ conference at General Headquarters, COAS General Raheel Sharif said the Army was fully cognizant of the situation and closely watching the latest developments in the region and their impact on national security. The meeting took notice of the hostile narrative being propagated by India, and according to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement, General Raheel Sharif said: “Pakistan Army is fully prepared to respond to the entire spectrum of direct and indirect threats to national security, and will thwart any sinister design against integrity and sovereignty of the country.” The conference provided an in-depth review of the external and internal security situation and operational preparedness of the armed forces. On Sunday, India’s Home Minister Rajnath Singh termed Pakistan a ‘terrorist state’ in an anti-Pakistan rant, hours after suspected militants attacked an Indian army base in India-held Kashmir (IHK).
On Monday, PM Narendra Modi presided over a high level meeting to discuss the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and attack on Brigade Headquarters at Uri that killed 18 soldiers and injured many others. The details of the meeting were not made public; however media referred to the demands made in the meeting to punish Pakistan through surgical strikes on militants training camps in Azad Kashmir and other areas near the Line of Control. At the same, time, Indian Government and RAW in their latest efforts to exploit separatist tendencies in Balochistan and to incite people of Gilgit-Baltistan is resorting to covert and overt measures like transmissions, and concocted stories of unrest in Gilgit/Baltistan and Balochistan. It has been reliably learnt that Mr Ashish, Under-secretary, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), India contacted Satyanaryana Sastry Raghuram, 1st Secretary Pol 2 in Indian High Commission, Islamabad on 23rd August 2016.
The communication read: “Ministry of External Affairs has started “Special Bulletin” news summary regarding local media coverage of Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu Kashmir for submission to higher MEA officials’ on daily basis. Mr. Ashish requested Raghuram for provision of local media coverage of above mentioned areas on daily basis. India through local media coverage of Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir is preparing to, entangle Pakistan on alleged human rights violations in these areas to cover up Indian atrocities in IOK. Two months ago, UNCHR had sought access for fact-finding team to the IOK to assess the human right violation. Last week, UN High Commissioner on Human Rights asked India and Pakistan to grant it unconditional access to both sides on the Line of Control to establish an objective assessment of the situation in Kashmir.
In his opening statement at the 33rd session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said: “Two months ago, I requested the agreement of the Governments of India and Pakistan to invite teams from my Office to visit both sides of the Line of Control. We had previously received reports, and still continue to do so, claiming the Indian authorities had used force excessively against the civilian population under its administration.” Pakistan’s Foreign Office said Pakistan would give access to any UN team to its controlled region. “We note the High Commissioner’s statement that he awaits a formal letter from India for access to Kashmir. We urge India to respond to this request,” the Foreign Office had said. According to Chief of UN Human Right Commission (UNHCR), India has rejected the request of UNHCR for access to the occupied-valley. Since the Mumbai drama in India, people have been hearing about a new type of war against Pakistan i.e. so-called “The surgical strikes.” Surgical strike is an unprovoked attack intended to deal only with a specific targets. But where would India intend to carry out such a strike? At that time, they had in mind to target, what they said, training camps of Kashmiri mujahedeen LET etc. In 2009, there was talk of destroying Pakistan’s sensitive installations and infrastructure i.e. Dams and Reactors and military locations. In beginning November 2009, Pakistan’s defence analysts had reported about India’s planning for so-called ‘Cold Start’ strategy and preparing for a limited war against Pakistan. General Kapoor’s statement on 23rd November 2009 confirmed the hegemonic thrust of India’s nuclear doctrine. Indian Army Chief on 24th November had indicated that India was setting the stage for a limited war against Pakistan since long.
“The armed forces have to substantially enhance their strategic reach and out-of-area capabilities to protect India’s geo-political interests stretching from Persian Gulf to Malacca Strait. This would enable us to protect our island territories, and also give assistance to the littoral states in the Indian Ocean Region,” General Kapoor had said. The India’s intent should be obvious from the fact that it wants to keep the focus entirely spotted on Pakistan to demonise it as a state, denigrate its agencies and its military, to project it as a state sponsoring terrorism globally, to isolate it internationally. In this regard, in a high level meeting on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Defence Minister Parrikar have been openly talking about isolating Pakistan, and Modi asked for concrete evidence about attack on army camp in Uri to present in international forum.
