pakistan-is-not-just-rogue-it-is-incorrigible

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's hard hitting message few days back, his tone and tenor on 'retribution’ has rattled Pakistan beyond doubt.

 

Even as the Pakistan government responded with some retaliatory decisions to how India responded to killing of innocent tourists, these are only face saving measures. It has, however, resorted to propaganda, perhaps of the worst kind, both, from the government’s end and through its social media platforms.

 

Now, it is self-explanatory why India chose to ban as many as 16 such channels, and rightly so. India's move is primarily aimed at not letting people in this country get misled by the narrative based purely on falsehood. The government has banned YouTube channels and some social media sources to stop the flow of incorrect, unsubstantiated and above all, utterly biased information from that side. The latest step in this direction being banning of X handle of Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif for spreading disinformation about J&K and for brazenly supporting terrorism in India.

 

However, the biggest irony in the face of all of this absurdity is that its own people are spewing venom against the powers at the helm. There is this other side of social media content which is extensively derogatory towards its own government in not having allowing progress and development and in having focussed only on nurturing terrorism, besides its obsession with Kashmir.

 

Common people, who are bearing the brunt of India's wrath by way of measures like suspension of Indus Water Treaty, are blaming their own government more than India for its misadventures, especially the military commanders.

 

Yet, Pakistan, rightly categorised as 'rogue' on international fora, remains incorrigible not only for India, but also for its own masses living in penury.

 

Confused and engulfed in the dread for possible unforeseen actions from India, Pakistan has put its army and air force on alert along with emergency guidelines to all concerned quarters, fearing harshest strike or what Khawaja Asif chose to say, incursion. Its social media for the past one week has remained abuzz with mixed response on what happened in Pahalgam, but the videos and audio clips at the end of some politicians, ministers and even officers in uniform are all indicative of one reality: Pakistan is in panic.

 

It goes without saying that Pahalgam massacre has reignited tensions between the two neighbours, which have fought three wars over Kashmir. Every time, Pakistan had to face humiliation from India not just in wars but also due to India’s strong position internationally over claims on Kashmir. 

 

Despite that, Pakistan's obsession with Kashmir is never ending and for decades, it has been fighting a proxy war by sending in trained terrorists to shatter peace this side. What speaks volumes is the fact that the attack came just a week after Pakistan’s army chief, Gen Asim Munir, described Kashmir as Pakistan’s “jugular vein” and promised not to “leave our Kashmiri brothers in their heroic struggle”.

 

However, if Gen Munir and terrorists sent from across the border think recent assault would win support from Kashmiris or revive the separatist sentiment, they are grossly miscalculated. 

 

Entire Kashmir is witnessing an opposing wave this time with widespread protests going on for the last two days. Men, women and children of all age groups and even elderly are staging loud protests not just against the Pahalgam killings but brazenly spewing venom at Pakistan for a “huge, undefined loss” they are incurring by the acts and agenda of that country. 

 

There is a complete shutdown of stores and businesses to mourn the victims, while people associated with tourism industry minced no words when they said, “tourists are our lives.”

 

If Kashmiris are appalled over what happened in Pahalgam two days back, so are the common masses in Pakistan. This time, they are directing anger at their army. What has scared everyone is PM Modi's harsh response, promising retribution for the Pahalgam terror attack, coupled with a tough message - “India will identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backers” and would “pursue them to the ends of the earth.”

 

The message is loud and bold enough to rattle and frustrate Pakistan, explaining why the country has put its forces on high alert. The leaves of officials within the army have been cancelled and those already on leave have been recalled as an emergency measure.

 

What remains an interesting situation is common people cursing the men in uniform a lot. Everyone seems to be in hate mode for the army and not fearing when they openly label them as the 'most corrupt', unbridled lot with their military dictatorship spun in nefarious anti-India designs, having brought more harm than good to the nation.

 

Majority of the people who are suffering on multifarious fronts are only cursing the army, not even shying to describe them as 'rogues' in uniform who only have vested interests. There is this general belief among them that the army is run by corrupt generals who just want to get loot money and lead a rich retired life in the US or Dubai.

 

Yet, notwithstanding this hatred for power corridors from their own people, there is a brazen lot of politicians who take pride in what they are doing against India. In response to BBC journalist Yalda Hakim's question on Pakistan funding sponsoring terrorists, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khwaja Asif responded, "well, we have been doing this dirty work for US, including Britain, and whole of West for decades."

 

Not only this, some officers in uniform are showing their might in videos on social media asking common people to get ready if war erupts between the two countries, the tips particularly directed towards those living in vulnerable areas.

 

By Saroj Razdan