Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema

While the attack on the Indian Parliament was condemned in no uncertain words by the Pakistani President, the Indian leadership quickly not only decided in their own wisdom to put the blame on Pakistani based groups but also issued a demarche demanding to freeze their assets, halt their activities and arrest their leaders. In response Pakistan merely asked for evidence and suggested joint inquiry. It is not too difficult to understand why the Indians rejected the idea of joint inquiry but to refuse to provide any piece of evidence invokes suspicions about Indian intentions.

No one in Pakistan has really justified an attack on the Indian parliament. Almost every one who matters has condemned the attack. Even those who were blamed for this act vehemently denied the accusation. Compared to Pakistani sane and rational responces, the Indians seem to have opted for an extremely irrational approach and have been continuously churning out irresponsible and provocative statements. Perhaps the most ludicrous statement was in which it was claimed that the attack was meant to eliminate the entire leadership of India. What would Pakistan gain from such an act? Why should Pakistan indulge in such a reprehensible act?

Not only Pakistan has been a target of Indian terrorism, almost all the South Asian countries have experienced the tip of unsheathed Indian blade. India is the first country in South Asia to use force against its neighbour. One need not to describe in detail the state terrorism perpetrated by the Indian forces in the disputed state of Kashmir. Learning from their partner Israel, the Indians have unleashed a reign of terror in Kashmir. Attempting to equate Kashmiris freedom struggle with that of terrorist activities, the Indians have indulged in unprecedented brutalities killing more than 80,000 and wounded three times more. For more than twelve years the Kashmiri freedom fighters have carried on their struggle in an impressive manner. No amount of repression is likely to influence the Kashmiris to deviate from their chosen path.

Following the tragic event of Dec.13, all that Pakistan has asked from India is to provide evidence. India has refused to do so. One can understand the compulsions influencing the Indian decision makers not to provide evidence to the Pakistanis, but they can provide the evidence to UK or US or to some other impartial entity. Instead the Indian began to raise the tension by making belligerent speeches. The offer of allowing FBI to conduct inquiry of the incident has also been curtly rejected by the Indians.

What needs to be subjected to serious considerations is whether or not the current Indian attitude is merely reminiscent of old fable of 'the wolf and the lamb' or do they have some sinister designs. Indeed the way the Indian leadership and the opinion makers are behaving is reflective of wolf's attitude but they also seem to have designs of their own. One aspect of BJP policy is to shy away from the existing realities in Kashmir and attempt to paint the freedom struggle as terrorist movement. Needless to assert that no movement can last for so many years without the support of majority of the people involved. It is also not very uncommon that once a freedom struggle gains desired momentum, some sympathizer invariably join in. One recent example is that when the Afghanis waged their freedom struggle against the Soviets, many sympathizers from outside joined the struggle. These outsiders were hailed as the great Islamic warriors.

Following the tragic incident of 11th September, a coalition to fight against terrorism was formed. Both India and Pakistan are the members of this coalition. The Indians were indeed frustrated when they saw that all the important members were happy over the inclusion of Pakistan in this coalition. Despite the contributions of the Pakistanis, which were enormous and indeed very impressive, the Indians were very unhappy. Initially they wanted to have Pakistan declared as a terrorist state. For years the Indians individually as well as collectively been deeply engaged in pursuing this objective. They hardly missed any opportunity.

Disappointed over their inability to convince the Americans and other coalition partners to brand Pakistan as the terrorist state, they shifted their focus on organizations based in Pakistan that are deemed to have been operating and supporting the Kashmiris struggle for freedom. Since they have no clear evidence or at least they have not yet made it public, the Indian current leadership along with the Indian media, which appears to be more loyal than king, begun to put the blame of 13th Dec. tragic incident upon those Pakistan based organizations that had claimed to have indulged in such acts in the past.

Another interpretation that is fast generating frustrations for the Indians is Pakistan's ability to avert its augured economic collapse. Not only many Indians had already predicted such an eventuality but they were also engaged in pushing, in their own way, towards what they anticipated economic disaster. To begin with one must realize that Indian aims are twofold; to destroy Pakistan's military establishments and its strategic assets on one hand and prevent all efforts that could in any way help strengthen Pakistan on the other. Economic revival of Pakistan is something that is intensely disliked by the Indians. The developments in Afghanistan have resulted in the formation of a coalition and Pakistan's inclusion into has not only caused the lifting of many sanctions to which it was subjected but certain amount of economic benefits accruing from greater market access and rescheduling debt servicing on relatively easy terms could help in the speedy revival pf Pakistan's economy.

This is not first time that Indians sinister designs have surfaced in the wake of Indian fabricated crisis. Following the nuclear explosion of May 1998, the Indians, cognizant of Pakistan's weak economy, had calculated that nuclearisation of Pakistan along with its paraphernalia would certainly add massive economic burden on Pakistan. That's why they immediately began to push Pakistan to opt for the explosion though their initial calculation was that Pakistan was far behind in nuclear technology.

Undoubtedly the current situation has already put severe economic strains on Pakistan's struggling economy. Cognizant of the operative economic difficulties of Pakistan and conscious of likely benefits that can help Pakistan during the reconstruction phase of Afghanistan, subjecting Pakistan's economy in its recovery phase to pressures that often accompany war like situations could be easily construed as part of deliberately planned Indian policy. Troop mobilization can easily incur massive expenditure. Burdened with economic losses that were the product of War in Afghanistan, India seem to be bent upon making substantive contributions to the existing arsenal of our economic complexities.

Brushing aside Pakistan's quest seeking evidence rather curtly, the Indians began to undertake what they deem to be diplomatic and military punitive measures. These measures include the military build up on borders and Line of Control, dispatch of fighter /bomber aircrafts to forward bases, canceling leaves of the military personnel, impounding railway carriages, deploying nuclear-capable Prithvi missiles along the border, stopping PIA's over-flights and demanding the reduction of High Commission staff to 50% of its present strength.

So far Pakistan has responded with utmost restraint and the leadership has avoided issuing provocative statements. But one should not forget that there is a limit to self imposed or even advised restraints. One major reason one can think of why Pakistan is restrained despite the gradual emergence of voices within Pakistan to forcefully respond to Indian irrational attitudes and extremely irresponsible and provocative statements is to prevent any inadvertent damage to the existing coalition against terrorism. However one should be clearly understood by the Indians that Pakistan's sane and rational policy responce is not reflective of any weakness military strength or willingness to effectively respond or lack of adequate preparations. As has been repeatedly asserted by the concerned spokesman that Pakistan has already undertaken necessary defensive measures to meet the intended Indian aggression.

Dictation a la India is unlikely to pay the anticipated dividends. No government in Pakistan would like to be seen to be giving into Indian ridiculous demands without the provision of adequate proofs. Being a rational actor against the terrorism and actively involved with the global drive against terrorism, Pakistan has already undertaken requisite actions to check the unbridled organization that were getting out of hand. Being a continuous victim of Indian sponsored terrorists acts, it is acutely conscious of the dangers involved in all the three categories of terrorism; state terrorism, group terrorism and individual terrorism. Perhaps the logical way out of this carefully contrived crisis is to scale down the rhetoric and initiate a dialogue. It is hoped that with help and advice of the international community this unnecessary crisis is quickly defused.