Lt Gen P G Kamath
Talking on the affliction of Pakistan for the J&K issue; it appears Imran Khan has stopped governing his nation and is stuck in the groove of Kashmir. A nation that has carried out endless operations using its Airforce, missiles, artillery guns and attack helicopters against its own nationals, sheds needless tears and guilelessly waxes eloquent on Human Rights in J&K? The Pakistan Army Chief vowed that Pakistan will not leave Kashmiri people alone until the issue is resolved on the basis of UN Resolution. Addressing troops on 6 Sep 2019, Martyrs Day, also observed as Kashmir Solidarity day; he said that the hearts of Kashmiris and Pakistanis beat together. Look at the chagrin of a nation that has been the defender of human rights worldwide and upholders of democracy and rule of the people? We all understand how a nation overflowing with such noble values and virtues gets understandably disturbed when the special status of J&K has been revoked. More of it later.
Now let us see how Pakistan has dealt with its own nationals? History knows of the suppression and merciless rule unleashed on their own province of East Pakistan and the massive genocide carried out by its armed forces. ‘Operation Searchlight’ was launched by Pakistani Army on 26 Mar 1971 to destroy the national movement of East Pakistan. An estimated 300, 000 to 3 million civilians were killed and over 10 million refugees fled to India. Please do not forget the targeted killing of intellectuals, students, professors, jurists, writers, academics, doctors, journalists from all cities of then East Pakistan totalling more than 1100. Even on the night of 14 Dec 1971; two hundred intellectuals were abducted from their homes in Dacca and were executed. Also, lest you forget the abduction of girl students from their dormitory of Dacca University, who were raped and kept in cantonments as concubines till the end of the war. Some were dead and some were mentally deranged and were dying at the end of the war. Isn’t it ludicrous that they should be shouting hoarse for the people of J&K?
Let us take Baluchistan; The suppression of its people at the time of independence is on records. A decade later the Khan of Kalat was arrested; hundreds were killed and incarcerated in these two operations. Again, the third wave of suppression of Baluchistan was from 1967 – 68 which resulted in the establishment of ‘Baluch Student Organisation’. Later from 1973 to 1978, the freedom movement of Baluchistan was crushed mercilessly by Pakistan Armed Forces comprising Army, Airforce and Pakistan Navy which blockaded the coast. More than 5300 Baluch Freedom Fighters were massacred and thousands were displaced. It was an iron hand of suppression by ZA Bhutto and martial law was enforced in Baluchistan for nearly a decade from mid the 1970s till 1985. The merciless suppression by the Pakistani Armed Forces gave rise to ‘Balochi People’s Liberation Front’. In the first decade of this century, one saw frequent suppression of Balochis by Pakistani Armed Forces and there was a targeted killing of the 79-year-old Baluchi Leader Akbar Khan Bugti by Pakistani Army in 2006. Later in April 2009 President of Baluch National Movement, Ghulam Mohd Baluch and two other Balochi leaders Lala Munir and Sher Mohd were picked up, handcuffed and blindfolded and their bullet-ridden bodies were found a few days later. It was an intelligence operation by Pakistani Special Forces. Such was the savagery of Pakistani Armed Forces masquerading as a professional force. It gave the vital warnings to all separatist forces as to what their fate would be in the case, they carried out any freedom movements? Presently, the Council for Independent Baluchistan formed by the Khan of Kalat Mir Suleiman Dawood operates from outside Pakistan. I am sure Ali Shah Geelani, Umar Farook, Lone, Bhat, Andrabi and Malik are listening: They are lolling in the lap of luxury with their highly educated children employed across the world while instigating the youth of the state to wage Jihad. Honourable indeed are their intentions; they want to coax children of J&K to attain ‘Jannat’ (Paradise) while depriving their own children a chance to become martyrs? Look at the altruism, where they seek good for other’s children at the cost of their own? How would Imran Khan and his Army Chief have dealt with these separatists; if they were Balochis?
In Jan 2008, Pakistan Armed Forces launched ‘Operation Zalzala’ in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa against the TTP. The operation was ruthless. Pak 14 Army Division with Pak Airforce and artillery in support destroyed thousands of houses and killed innocent civilians. It is considered the largest tribal displacement in history, where 200,000 tribals were rendered homeless and destitute. In Jun 2008 ‘Operation ‘Sirat-e-Mustaqeem’ was launched in Swat Valley, then there were two operations launched in Bajaur. In their second Bajaur offensive, both the Pak Army and Airforce launched a massive joint operation in Sep 2008. In both the offensives more than 2000 freedom fighters were killed. Field and medium artillery guns, mortars, attack helicopters and airstrikes were carried out on their own nationals. In April 2009, ‘Operation Thunderstorm’ was launched in the Swat Valley for the second time. It was a joint operation by Army, Navy and Airforce. The Naval jets along with Airforce and Army pounded the civilian areas. It is not possible to recount all the operations; suffice to say a series of joint operations were launched in Orakzai, Khurram, Tirah Valley, Khyber Agency, South & North Waziristan killing hundreds of freedom fighters and thousands of civilians. Operation ‘Rah e Nijat in South Waziristan in 2009, and ‘Operation Rah e Raast’ in Swat Valley employing 11 Corps and special forces were launched. ‘Operation Zarb e Azb’ was launched in North Waziristan of FATA from 2014 to 2016 for nearly two years displacing nearly a million civilians besides causing immense civilian casualties and collateral damage. As per South Asian Terrorism Portal, Pakistan, over 65000 civilians and freedom fighters have been killed in terrorist-related violence in the last 18 years. It has displaced more than two million civilians following a spate of massacres and mayhem unleashed by Pak Armed Forces. It is tragic that India treated this massive genocide, massacres and exodus as internal matters of Pakistan.
Don’t you think Imran Khan and his Chief should first study their own killings rather than talk of J&K? Now let us talk of J&K, as well as both, suffer from selective amnesia.
It was Pakistan that invaded the independent state of J&K on 22 Oct 1947, violating the ‘Standstill Agreement’ that was signed with the Maharaja of J&K on 11 Aug 1947. On the night of 26 Oct 1947, when the Maharaja signed the Instrument of Accession acceding the entire state of J&K to India; the whole state that includes Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Pakistan Occupied J&K (including so-called Azad Kashmir), Gilgit Baltistan and Shaksgam Valley (now ceded to China by Pakistan) became the sovereign territory of India. The fall of 1947 and in 1948 the Indian Armed Forces recaptured a part of the seized territories and unfortunately due to poor handling of the war by Nehru a ceasefire came into effect with a third of the state under Pakistani illegal occupation.
The UNSC Resolution that Pakistan harps upon is No47 adopted on 21 Apr 1948 based on a complaint by India. The resolution was amplified after discussion with both the governments on 13 Aug 1948 by UN Commission for India and Pakistan. It envisaged the implementation of the resolution in three parts. Part I was Ceasefire that came into effect on 01 Jan 1949. Part II was ‘Complete Withdrawal of Pakistani fighting forces including Army, tribes and other nationals, who are not the inhabitants of J&K. Following withdrawals of Pakistani forces and nationals, India to withdraw the bulk of its forces leaving minimum required to maintain law and order. Part III envisaged settling the future of the state in accordance with the will of the people. Please note, the word plebiscite was left out and the wordings were broad-based to determine the will of the people by any suitable mechanism.
Now let us look at the implementation; after the cease-fire as per Part I, it was left for Pakistan to follow up on Part II. Did they do it? From 1949 till 1965 Pakistan did not follow up on Part II. Why are they blaming India? Then in 1965, Pak launched ‘Operation Gibraltar’ where they sent in army infiltrators into J&K to cause a revolt and take over the state in conjunction with an offensive; ‘Operation Malta’ towards Akhnur to cut off the state from the rest of India. It was sheer perfidy by Pakistan to trash the UNSC Resolution so that the state can be taken over bypassing the UN resolution. Who violated the UNSC resolution? India or Pakistan? All infiltrators were killed and caught and the entire operation failed miserably. Indians also captured the Haji Pir Pass a vital link from Poonch to Uri. Operation Malta failed to cut off the state, though it made some inroads towards Jaurian. Tashkent Declaration was signed under the aegis of the Soviet Union, where Shastri returned the strategic Haji Pir Pass to Pakistan. Now that the operation to capture J&K failed, Pakistan was back at its old game of asking for the implementation of UNSC Resolution. Let it be clear that the Part II of the resolution was not implemented by Pakistan for 16 years with the hope they will invade and capture J&K by force thus rendering the UNSC Resolution redundant and superfluous. When their military campaign failed, even the nominal academic value the UNSC Resolution had, was completely demolished. Just look at their hare-brained idea; expecting Indians to respect the UN Resolution to suit Pakistani convenience. Now Pakistan wants to take up Part III of the resolution without implementing the Part II. I wonder as to who is briefing Imran and his Chief that they have threatened to go to the UN. The case is so strongly in favour of India and I have no doubts that the Pak lawyer at ICJ, will suffer from bipolar disorder and would start arguing in support of India.
Regarding the Indo-Pak war of 1971, the Indian strategic naivety overwhelmed and subsumed our historic victory. After capturing over 93,000 prisoners of war (POWs) that included the war criminals for massive genocide in East Pakistan; all were returned without bargaining for the return of illegally occupied J&K. Let alone taking back J&K; even our handful of prisoners who were captured by Pakistan on the Western Front was not asked for and they are still languishing in Pakistani jails. Everyone hails Indira Gandhi; personally, for me, she was strategically as naïve as her father. What was achieved in the Shimla Agreement was to put the Indo-Pak relations on a bilateral rail. The ‘Cease-Fire Line’ of the UNSC Resolution became the ‘LOC’ and the resolution was thought to be given a decent burial? No sooner the POWs returned to Pakistan, it was back at its game for implementation of UNSC Resolution. Indira Gandhi and her man Friday; DP Dhar looked like fools who required immediate incarceration in a padded cell to keep themselves from harm. We won the war where more than 3800 officers and men gave their lives and a nation was born but all we could get out of the momentous victory is a decrepit Shimla Agreement that was repudiated before the ink was dry on the paper.
Now let us have a look at J&K. The state was pampered as it was the only Muslim majority state. 54 per cent of the total revenue of the state is from funds doled by the Central Government as the state is incapable of raising its revenue. The state gets 10 per cent of Central Government funds for a population of 1 per cent of the country. The state of Uttar Pradesh that has 13 per cent of the population receives 8.2 per cent of Central Government funds. The per capita Central Government funds from 2000 to 2016 to each person in J&K is ₹ 91,300/- in comparison to UP, where it is only ₹ 4300/- It means that every resident of J&K gets 21 times more funds than a resident of UP. So much so; for those who talk of ‘Human Rights’ in the state. No one also talks of the ethnic cleansing of 600,000 Hindus from the Valley.
I think Imran Khan and his Chief need to apologise to the people of Pakistan for taking away their democratic rights and keeping them under the Army. The massive massacres they have perpetrated on their own people should not be forgotten. In J&K, an Indian Soldier ironically fights with the same weapon that the terrorists have. Not once; I say again not once the Indian Army has ever used Artillery, airstrikes or attack helicopters which have been used rampantly by Pakistani Armed Forces against their own nationals. Even its worst detractors in the valley would admit that the Indian Army has incurred casualties in minimising collateral damage to civilians.
The Indian Government has spent 15 crores to foot the bill for the security of separatists in the last decade. All separatist leaders have a ‘PSO – Personal Security Officers’. Imran Khan would do well to recount as to how the Baluchi leaders were killed in cold blood. Happily, the security cover for them has been reduced recently.
India should not be concerned with the Security Council Resolution 47 of 1948. Pakistan will never implement the Part II of the resolution. Will Pakistan ever vacate all the illegally occupied territories of the so-called Azad Kashmir, Gilgit- Baltistan and Shaksgam Valley. The territory has to be taken back from China and given to India, who will then follow up with the next step in Part II of the resolution. The best strategy for the Indians is to agree to the UNSC resolution and call on Pakistan to implement Part II. Then we have to think what imbecile argument will they come up with; as the ball would be in their court. Once they withdraw then we can send our Army to Gilgit-Baltistan and Shaksgam Valley and ensure their security till the time the will of the people is exercised as in Part III.
Imran Khan would do well to look at his country’s economy that is on free fall with the sanctions of FATF further hanging like the Sword of Damocles. It has put on hold the $6 billion loan due from the IMF. The CPEC has further ensured the burden of debt is so heavy that it would soon become one of the Prefectures of China. Even the mainstay of the CPEC is the Mainline 1; railway line connecting Peshawar to Karachi. 85 per cent of the cost is being financed by China as soft loans. Neither the Ministry of Finance nor the Pakistan Railway wants to take the burden of the loan. As the bureaucracy wants to evade the responsibility to take the loans, as a clever ploy they want to establish a ‘CPEC Authority’ to streamline the projects. Pakistan knows the CPEC is a debt trap that would end up as a ‘death trap’. Everyone knows it is hurtling them towards a vassal state but no one wants to take a firm decision to stop the decline, take stock of the situation and then take a decision in its national interest.
All these multifarious problems do not seem to take Imran Khan’s attention. He is at his best in trying to internationalise J&K issue. Frequent nuclear sabre-rattling so as to awaken the world of the possibility of nuclear war and frighten it to take cognisance of the ‘J&K Issue’ has been his present preoccupation. He is losing sweat and sleep over it. All this is a good augury for India as ultimately Pakistan will stew in her own juice of its own making. Can you stop a country from committing ‘hara-kiri’; more so, when it's Prime Minister and its Army Chief are hell-bent in doing so? Pakistan has lit her own self-destruction fuse; we need to only sit and watch. Napoleon had said, “Do not disturb the enemy when he is making a mistake”; so, let it be with Pakistan.
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