The Indian Dramas: From Star Plus to RAW Plus – III

By: Sohail Parwaz

The Indian dramas are always out of place and out of time…… oh out of reality too (that I ‘shamefully’ forgot). As we have talked about some old productions by M/s RAW Plus, it has given us a fair idea about the level of perseverance, perfection and professionalism of the ‘Producers’. Even if a fifth grader is asked to write a spy story, it’s firmly believed that one would scribble a brilliant piece according to the one’s level, nevertheless, what could be expected from those immature nonprofessionals and novices of India, who consider themselves nothing less than the German Mata Hari, The Soviet Rosenbergs and Klaus Fuchs, Major John André of Britain and famous one-legged Virginia Hall of USA (Even that lady with the imputed leg was far better than the jug heads)? The poor planners have numb and retarded minds and have no mental ability to think beyond building a story around a pigeon, a camel or a stray kite.

The ‘Kaoboys’ of RAW never grew up and despite committing follies after the follies never showed flexibility and kept the set format to make any subversive, sabotage plan or a clandestine operation. Forty Seven years is hell of a time to grow up unless one is not willing to do so. The most recent drama is ‘Aik Din Pathankot Ka’ (A Day at Pathankot). It was a copy of ‘Mumbai 11/26’ which was in fact the verbatim reproduction of 9/11. However, the planners couldn’t pick up the courage for the daring maneuvers as the planners of 9/11 did and that screwed the already loose script.

The world is already pointing fingers at India and doubting the drama. The sane and honest voices from within are also strongly criticising the dubious and childish kind of urban legend. The major part of Indian media; ever ready to demonize, criticise and condemn Pakistan for anything happening, even the blame for something in poor Arun Lal’s kitchen in the slum environs of Mumbai is also thrown upon Pakistan. And drop scene took place recently when more than willing Pakistan volunteered to cooperate in the investigation and immediately sent the team, nevertheless, cunning ‘Production Team’ flatly refuse to give them an access to the Pathankot airbase.

Let’s take that interesting issue a little later and come straight to standoff which continued for almost four days. Oh Lord! What a pathetic professional standard it was, where just six of the ill-equipped terrorists, totally strangers on a hostile land, fought a pitched battle against the well equipped, ‘valiant’ native soldiers and gave them a real tough time for four days. For a while, let’s compare Pathankot attack with APS Peshawar carnage, where, about seven terrorists attacked the school meant for innocent students. The faceoff continued for eight hours and by 6 PM they all were killed and the control was regained by the army troops. Not to be forgotten that they all were well familiar with the city, surroundings and the school. Now, contrary to that the attackers who landed at Pathankot, started goofing up from the very outset and after committing at least half a dozen of blunders when finally landed at Pathankot then for four days gave tough time to those troops, who were not only familiar with the terrain but had the advantage of being on the home ground as well. The outcome of the showdown clearly suggests that the wise and smart Indians have to take one or the other blame; either it was a Notanki (drama) or the Indian forces are not at all capable of handling the critical situations come what may.

There are many other doubts lurking in the millions of minds and it’s quite apt to share those here to prove the incident as a drooped production. The very first thing that comes to our minds is Gurdaspur’s Superintendent of Police Salwinder Singh.  All the sharp brains have failed to understand that for what the hell on earth the terrorists released SP after a so hasty roughing-up that he didn’t need serious medical intervention, leaving aside efforts for hospitalizing him? Not only that, even they displayed highest standards of courtesy and released his cook, Madan Gopal, also. The comedy of errors is that the terrorists left these two Policewalas without harming them but made SP’s friend, a jeweler Rajesh Kumar Verma, a hostage. They slashed Verma superficially round the throat however surprisingly missed the carotid; the throat artery which can never be missed by a novice even. Another irritating point is their behaviour towards a poor Toyota cab driver, whom they hired prior to kidnapping the SP, and who was doubtlessly harmless to the terrorists as compare to the SP and his cook. The terrorists killed Ikagar Singh because he bothered them (may be taking rough roads at too fast a speed, out of fear) and  let all three of their succeeding ‘hostages’ go, alive and mildly damaged, despite that one of them owned an expensive car with a blue flasher rotating on the roof.

The costly XUV500 was Salwinder Singh’s Mahindra’s private car or official one? If it was his private vehicle, what led him to affix a blue blinking beacon on its roof, as one can see clearly in the pictures that the beacon on Salwinder Singh’s SUV is clearly an aftermarket addition? How Salwinder Singh did enjoy that expensive ride? Nevertheless, if it was officially entitled to him then a question comes to the mind that how a middle rank police officer who has not, yet, climbed high enough up the seniority ladder to have earned a Mahindra XUV500 could enjoy its official ride?

Another glaring flaw in the story that sounds more like a joke is the communication gadgets. Never before the terrorists, anywhere in the world, with a clear agenda and an immense strength for a long operation land up without their own com-sets, even satellite phones. It is almost a humor that a suicide squad who have a plan to destroy an airbase, diddles around with a filched (official) handset belonging to a responsible and significant police officer whom they ejected, alive, only to allow him to blow both their cover and to compromise their sensitive to-do list. Should they be called the terrorists or the comic losers (Prior to this drama I always enjoyed the three stooges’ performance)?

Another most significant and undeniable fact is that on January 1, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval had forewarned the Indian Air Force, NSG and Punjab Police about a ‘possibility of terror attacks’. Following the alert, Western Air Command chief had reached Pathankot air base on the same day by night himself to review the security preparations himself. Some local residents also confirmed that at the night of January 1, there were lots of suspicious movements of the security forces and unknown people in the area and the locals were warned and cautioned not to come out at night. However, the militants entered the Pathankot airbase, soon after those ‘preparations’, at 3 A.M on January 2.

The script contains many other loose ends, however mentioning about them is like making this write-up a hilarious and humorous piece. The Indian government’s allegations and their media’s hue and cry was like a storm in the teacup, that died the moment Pakistan extended a cooperating hand for the joint inquiry and the drop scene took place when the Pakistani team was not allowed to enter the Pathankot airbase. The drama badly flopped however, RAW Plus created a reason to hit another educational institute at Charsada, Mardan; a ‘gift’ that was received via Kabul on 20 January, killing and injuring a large number innocent students, the future of Pakistan.

The Indian Dramas: From Star Plus to RAW Plus – II

By Sohail Parwaz

In 2002, on February 27, a train Sabarmati Express was stopped outside Godhra station and a hell bent upon the Muslim passengers and the locals. Exact five years later, on 18 February 2007, on the anniversary of Godhra tragedy, another play was staged. This time it was Samjhota Express; a train shuttled between New Delhi and Lahore. The train havoc took place at a time when the then foreign minister of Pakistan Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri was to hold talks with his Indian counterpart on taking their bilateral peace process forward, resolving the Kashmir dispute and signing a nuclear risk reduction accord. Soon after the incident, as the script said, Delhi immediately accused elements in Pakistan of masterminding the attack. So much so that weeks later Indian officials, even at a first meeting of the joint terror mechanism handed over to the Pakistani side what they claimed was a picture of the alleged ‘perpetrator of the attack’. “LOL”.

The Indian government danced to their media’s tunes initially and started pointing the finger at Pakistan for the terror attacks.Widespread condemnation of Pakistan developed, particularly from the then opposition BJP and Pakistan was accused of harbouring terrorists and intentionally derailing peace attempts with India. However, soon the loose script messed up the production and it turned out as a flop drama, when the bombing appeared to be more linked to a Hindu fundamentalist group Abhinav Bharat within India than with any terrorist organization within Pakistan.

After a four-year probe, the NIA had on June 20, 2011, charged Aseemanand and many for hatching a criminal conspiracy which resulted in blasts in the Samjhota Express near Deewana railway station in Haryana’s Panipat district. Aseemanand confessed before a judicial magistrate and said he and his fellow RSS activists were involved in blasts on Samjhota Express; at mosques in Malegaon in Maharashtra State, Hyderabad; Andhra Pradesh’s state capital,; and a Muslim shrine in Ajmer in Rajasthan. Sadly, in August, 2015 the Indian government refused to challenge or hinders the decision of the Supreme Court who granted the bail to Swami Aseemanand. The gravity of Aseemanand’s crimes was so horrible that a responsible Indian daily determined him as the ugliest face of terrorism.” The shameless Aseemanand had twice admitted in the court that he was involved in Samjhota Express incident. Once he did so in December 2010 and then again in January 2011. The court had given him 48 hours and had asked the investigation teams to keep away from him so that it could be determined that he was not accepting the responsibility under duress. However RSS’s Rambo did not change his confessional statement even after remaining in judicial custody for 48 hours and reiterated that he had carried out that terrorist activity.

There was yet another drama planned and staged on 26 November 2008, however, it is purposely being not mentioned here sincethe script for a change was comparatively better, although it left behind dozens of questions lurking in sane minds. Coming to a recent past’s drama, the ‘terror boat’ is must to be mentioned. This thrilling was a special production at the eve of New Year, to welcome 2015.  Again, the lousy script embarrassed the ‘director’ when it took a new twist in the shape of an exposé, which overturned the Indian aspersions about Pakistan. The government of India claimed that it had foiled another 26/11-type attack, alleging that ‘Pakistani terrorists’, after a long chase by the Indian Coast Guard on the high seas, after hearing the warning shots blew themselves up. Nevertheless, the retired Indian naval personnel while analysing the incident, argued that the alleged terror boat, according to Indian television videos, was apparently a fishing boat and was no match for the high-speed coast guard ships. They pointed out that the claim that Indian Coast Guard vessels had chased the “terror boat” for hours was improbable. The analysts’ another observation was that the flames shown on the ill-fated boat resembled to a fuel fire rather than detonation caused by explosives. The Indian Coast Guard’s excuse about not rescuing any ‘terrorist’ due to inclement weather was rebutted by the marine specialists’ weather forecast, which was depicted fair for a whole fortnight.

The majority of the Indians could not solve the mystery that how a television channel’s crew was on board the coast guard vessel to exclusively film the entire gruesome episode and air it, giving the impression that it was a choreographed event. The final nail in the head was hammered by the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) B K Loshali, also chief of staff (northwest region), coast guard, Gandhi Nagar, who at a gathering of officials from the coast guard during the launch of the coast guard interceptor boat ICGS C-421, astoundingly disclosed that his crew members sunk the boat. His exact remarks that caused a rumpus were, “Let me tell you. I hope you remember December 31 night. We blew off that Pakistan…We have blown them off…I was there at Gandhi Nagar and I told at night, blow the boat off. We do not want to serve them biryani.”

House Raid of Salman Masood and Government’s Over-Reaction

Sarah Khan

On 12 January 2016, the paramilitary Rangers raided the home of a New York Times journalist Mr Salman Masood, who is also the Islamabad-based resident editor of English daily The Nation. Soon after the raid, Salman Masood posted series of posts on his Twitter account, documenting the search as Rangers looked around the house. According to Mr Masood’s account, Rangers personnel arrived at his residence, located in Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Islamabad. A man in plainclothes repeatedly rang his door bell at around 7am. He was accompanied by Rangers personnel and a police officer. “They claimed that they wanted to search the house for a suspect, but they did not have a search warrant”.

The news of house raid of New York Times Correspondent received tremendous attention even in international media and sparked outcry in Pakistan’s social and print media. Leading dailies of US and UK reported the incident and New York Times demanded a full inquiry into the matter. Soon after the reporting of incident Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said he was taking notice of the raid and had directed the interior secretary to investigate who ordered the raid and why. He also sought an explanation from the security agencies, saying that such action was not acceptable. A senior editor on The New York Times’s international desk, Douglas Schorzman, said the interior minister had issued an apology, which included a claim that the search “was part of a broader pattern of searches across his neighborhood”.

A senior Islamabad police official later explained that the search operation carried out in DHA Islamabad was not a targeted one. “It was a search operation in which several houses were searched and 25 suspects – including two Afghan national – had been picked up during the search operation across the Sihala and Loi Bher areas.” He added that SP (Rural) Syed Mustafa Tanver, police and Rangers personnel searched 300 houses, including Mr Masood’s residence, and collected information about the occupants of these houses. Police officials said that when Mr Masood asked to see a warrant, he was told that a search operation could be carried out in the presence of a magistrate. Magistrate Yasir Langah, accompanied the search party.

In June 2013, Declan Walsh, The New York Times Pakistan bureau chief, who is also a close friend of Salman Masood, was officially placed in category A of the Black List (BL), with the government declaring him persona non grata, documents revealed. According to the letter issued by Shahid Riaz, assistant director (BL Cell) at the directorate general for immigration and passports, Walsh had been blacklisted on the recommendation of the interior ministry and will no longer be able to avail visa facilities without the prior approval of the immigration and passports authority.

The paramilitary raid on house of Salman Masood received criticism from journalists but it is very much justified. His writings are mostly comprised of anti-Pakistan themes usually followed by Indian writers. He is close friend of Declan Walsh, who was expelled from Pakistan due to his undesirable activities. They both are co-writers of dozens of anti-Pakistan articles and their only agenda is to defame Pakistan and tarnish its international image. Our Interior Minister’s reaction to house raid of Salman Masood seems a bit over. Pakistan is fighting a war against terrorism and such raids are frequently carried out through out Pakistan. Instead of encouraging Law Enforcement Agencies, our minister has ordered an inquiry into the issue because Salman Masood is linked to NY Times. Our government officials must support all steps that are being taken to counter terror in the country instead of taking notices and initiating actions against those who are putting their lives at risks by raiding houses in order to search terrorists who are at large. Our government officials must serve the government of Pakistan instead of serving for the interests of those states who are sending such reporters in Pakistan.

The Indian Dramas: From Star Plus to RAW Plus – I

By Sohail Parwaz

Those were the good days when it was thought and considered that the Indian channel Star Plus was the most favourite and popular channel in Pakistan. Soon its popularity relegated and it became hot favourite with the maids only, working in middle and upper class houses with a hope that someday may be sahib ji’s dashing and handsome sons make them their soul mates, nevertheless, dreams rarely come true, hence the poor young maids could just wait and wait for their frog princes. Thanks to regular watching, the only good thing happened to them was that most of them, who were smart and wise, started spotting the glaring and idiotic flaws in those fantasized soups.

As the Star Plus’s rating and popularity has sharply deteriorated so has gone down the reputation of the Indian intelligence agency RAW, which has failed to show even the infinitesimal improvement in its performance during the last 44 years i.e. from January 1971 to January 2016. It looks as if the winters have been very trendy with the guys at the helm of affairs at RAW, since all the dramas planned were during the period from November to February! May be its too convenient to cover-up certain acts – who cares to move out? – as the cold dark nights help in skipping certain mandatory stages of a good ‘stage play’.

First ever drama was staged in 1971 when an obsolete Indian airliner was sent to Pakistan and then blown off. Two dubious characters Hashim Qureshi and Ashraf Qureshi, allegedly Kashmiri youngsters were trapped to play a highjack drama. The poor and ignorant adolescents, all along considered themselves as the heroes of the Kashmir freedom movement, who were hijacking an Indian Fokker plane Ganga for a great cause, not aware of the fact that Ganga was one of the oldest aircraft in the Indian Airlines fleet and was parked in hangers long ago, nevertheless, it was mysteriously re-inducted days before the hijacking. The three days ‘long Play’ started on 30 January and curtains were drawn on 1 February 1971 when as per plan the plane was blown off. Usually the commercial aircrafts don’t have names. In very rare cases due to some historical background or for other reason or emotional attachment they are named. However, amazingly, this plane before being used as a prop was named Ganga to sensationalize the story as the Indians have an emotional attachment with the river Ganges. That’s a different thing that Ashraf died few years ago while Hashim lives on a hillside mansion in the Nishat area of Srinagar, where he gazes at the Dal Lake from his multi-terraced lawn, playing golf in between – and recounting his story. Never forget that he was a hijacker who is lavishly living in the premises subjugated by the Indian government. Today, why shouldn’t he be treated as a hero? After all, he is the one who helped India in banning over-flights by Pakistani aircrafts. A ban that had a significant impact on troop movement and brought the dismemberment of East Pakistan on cards, finally.

For almost twenty-nine years, the Indians remained happy and jubilant as they were yet not over with the ‘Breaking Pakistan Celebrations’, until December 2001, when the need of screening a new drama was badly felt at ‘RAW Notanki’ since the Kashmir movement was picking up the gear while Pakistan was getting strengthened again. The beauty of this new play was – as a young Pakistani Karachi based columnist wrote in the Guardian, UK, long ago – that, during the staged attack upon the Indian parliament on December 13, not one furl of one dhoti of one Indian legislator was unfurled, during which not one brick was dislodged from one pillar. The gunmen miraculously got through security checks, in a time of heightened alerts, and attempted to destroy the Indian parliament. In a further miracle, none of the ministers were hurt and the terrorists were killed. ‘Khail khatam, paisa hazam’.

The Indian government’s refusal to show the faces of the terrorists to reporters raised many eyebrows and created doubts amongpeople. Instead, they kept insisted that the terrorists were part of two groups fighting for the liberation of Kashmir and that the attack was planned in training camps in Pakistan with the complicity of Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI. Pakistan suggested a logical epilogue of the drama by offering a joint inquiry into the affair, however, M/s RAW Entertainment wanted an end, the Star Plus way, thus refused the offer.

These are just few of the dramas, whereas a lot more has to be discussed for the public’s entertainment, before coming to ‘Aik Din Pathankot Ka’.

Pakistan’s Pivot

BY UMAIR JAMAL, 

Saudi Arabia is one of Pakistan’s oldest allies. The two countries have pursued extensive commercial and political relations since Pakistan’s establishment in 1947. However, Pakistan’s hesitancy to support its historic ally after Saudi Arabia’s recent execution of top Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr, marks a distinct shift in Pakistan’s foreign policy.

This is not a partnership of equals — Pakistan’s domestic order has remained vulnerable to Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy moves, ranging from promoting Saudi Arabia’s version of Islam to fanning sectarianism. Saudi Arabia’s regional actions have caused sectarian tensions inside Pakistan to increase dramatically as Sunni and Shia forces wrestle for power in the region.

The latest row between Saudi Arabia and Iran has put Pakistan in a difficult position. After the execution Nimr al-Nimr, protesters in Iran attacked the Saudi Embassy in Tehran. Pakistani streets also filled with Shia protesters, while the government called for calm and restraint. Many states from the Gulf region and Africa have broken diplomatic ties with Iran in solidarity, but Pakistan has restricted itself to condemning the mob attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran.

Shia Muslims make up nearly 20 percent of Pakistan’s population, but have remained under constant threat from Sunni radical Islamist groups.

The Saudi-Iranian rivalry — triggered after the Iranian revolution — continues to fuel sectarian tensions in Pakistan. Since 1989, more than 5,000 Pakistani civilians have lost their lives in sectarian attacks. Moreover, a large number of terrorist attacks that took place last year had sectarian dimensions. More than 55 people died in the Sindh province when a Shia mosque was bombed. In another attack, a Shia mosque was bombed in Peshawar on Feb. 13 killing at least 19 people. However, the violence did not end there, as gunmen ambushed a bus in Karachi in May killing 43 Ismaili.

Dealing decisively with sectarian militant groups is an essential part of the National Action Plan (NAP), Pakistan’s counter-terrorism initiative launched in 2015. The government’s new madrassa (religious schools) regulation policy under NAP will concentrate on the registration, regulation, and supervision of religious schools. The government is planning to introduce modern curriculum into religious schools in order to bring madrassa education in line with Pakistan’s mainstream educational system.

In 2015, the NAP achieved significant progress in curbing terrorism-related violence in the country. But while terrorism-related instability has declined, incidents related to sectarian violence have surged. Since the establishment of the NAP, Pakistan has been trying to distance itself from any regional conflicts which may be framed as sectarian. In the past, Pakistan’s foreign policy choices have directly resulted in the proliferation of sectarian tensions in the country. The country’s mobilization of radical Islamist groups as instruments of regional policies have provoked bloody sectarian clashes between the country’s Shiite and Sunni populations.

A new calculus has started to emerge between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia as Islamabad tries to write new rules of engagement for bilateral dealings. Pakistan flexed its independent muscle last year when its parliament passed a resolution to maintain “neutrality” in Yemen, instead of joining the Saudi-led coalition currently fighting against Shia Houthi rebels.

While Pakistan has reluctantly joined Saudi Arabia’s 34-nation anti-terror coalition, it has clearly stated that it will not support any coalition that destabilizes Syria or strains Islamabad’s relations with Tehran.

Pakistan has, by and large, remained neutral in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, but in the Syrian theater it has taken a clear position. In December 2015, Pakistan’s foreign office stated that, “Pakistan is against foreign military intervention in Syria and fully supports the territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab republic.” Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is known to be a close ally of Shia Iran, meaning Saudi Arabia is adamantly opposed to him staying on as president. While Pakistan’s new policy of non-intervention falls in line with the U.N. Security Council Resolution 2254 of 2015 that does not insist on Assad’s removal, it is a clear break with the sectarian politics of its traditional ally Saudi Arabia.

Pakistan has long fallen in line with Saudi Arabia’s agenda because it depends on the Kingdom for financial assistance. That may not be the case anymore, as emerging domestic and regional economic prospects and aid packages have emboldened Pakistan to pursue a bold yet calculated foreign policy. China is investing a hefty $46 billion in Pakistan to build an economic trade corridor, linking western China to the Persian Gulf through Pakistan.China has reportedly promised to stand by Pakistan if its ties with Saudi Arabia unravel. With greater economic independence, Pakistan has the opportunity to pursue its own interests.

Pakistan can no longer afford to adopt a foreign policy that appeases certain states and offends others at the cost of its domestic sectarian tensions. It is time for Pakistan to step out of Saudi Arabia’s shadow and determine its own future, one less affected by sectarian conflict.

Indian Republic Day as Kashmiris Black Day

By Mr Tariq Rizwan

Pakistan and India achieved independence from British rule on 14 and 15 August 1947 respectively, as a result of independence struggle extended over decades. The two respective national leaders, Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Mahatma Gandhi played decisive role for their nations’ victory.The constitution of India came into force on 26 January 1950, replacing the Government of India Act (1935) as India’s ‘Magna Carta’. Earlier, the constitution was adopted by the India Constituent Assembly on 26 November 1949, introducing a democratic form of government. The day 26 January, was selected for this purpose because it was this day in 1930 when the Declaration of Indian Independence (Purna Swaraj) was proclaimed by the Indian National Congress. It is one of three national holidays in India, the other two being Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti.

Since 1950, India has been hosting head of state or government of another country as the state guest of honour for Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi. This year, French President Francois Hollande is expected to arrive in Chandigarh on January 24 before attending the Republic Day’s parade in New Delhi. He will be the chief guest at this year’s Republic Day parade. According to an Indian official Vijay Dev, President Hollande’s will land in Chandigarh International Airport directly from France.

Everywhere, Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) and across the world observe the Indian Republic Day as a black day due to the fact that their ‘Right of Self Determination’ could not be fulfilled as per the UNSC resolutions. It is aimed at conveying to the international community that India’s claim of being a democratic republic is totally misleading after it denied the people of occupied Kashmir their inalienable right to self determination. The call for the observance of the black day is being given by the veteran Hurriyet leader Syed Ali Gilani, All Parties Hurriyet Conference (APHC), Chairman Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Muhammad Yasin Malik, senior Hurriyet leader Shabbir Ahmed Shah, High Court Bar Association and other pro liberation leaders and organizations. The day is being marked with a complete strike in Indian Held Kashmir (IHK) besides anti India demonstrations and rallies will be held in world capitals.

On the other side, a huge number of Indian forces in the occupied territory are preparing to ensure and force the people to participate in the State sponsored functions. Crackdowns are being planned to barricade the roads leading to the Bakhshi Stadium, the main venue of official function in Srinagar. As usual prominent Kashmiri leadership including Syed Ali Gilani, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Mir Waiz Farooq, Shabir Shah and Ahmed Dar Farida Bahenji etc will be arrested or put under house arrest to deny them the right of denouncing the event and holding demonstrations as they believe that India lacked the justification to celebrate the day in occupied Kashmir. They have urged that India had illegally occupied the territory and requested the international community specially US President Barack Obama to use its influence in settling the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the Kashmiris aspirations. Kashmiris from across the globe are planning to stage demonstrations on 26 January 2016. In Kashmir valley and on both sides of LoC, supporters of political and religious parties will take to the streets, display banners and placards “We want freedom,” “Long live Kashmir” and “Long live Pakistan”. At the same time they raise anti-India and pro-freedom slogans.

Last year, while addressing the participants of the rally, Kashmiri leader Asghar Rasool has said, “How unfortunate is that India is celebrating its Republic Day while in Indian administered Kashmir people are demanding their rights. The spirit of the United Nations resolutions are being crushed and killed under the draconian law like Armed Forces Special Powers Act and other black laws.” Protest rallies were also held in other districts of Azad Kashmir. In Mirpur, Kotli and Rawalakot hundreds of government employees staged the protest demonstrations against the continued Indian brutalities. They appealed to US President Barack Obama to put pressure on India for the permanent settlement of Jammu and Kashmir dispute aimed at bringing peace to the region. Meanwhile, in a statement issued in Srinagar the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik said that Indian state terrorism in the occupied territory could not suppress the ongoing liberation movement, adding that the liberation struggle would be taken to its logical conclusion.

The Indian Republic Day is being attended regularly by leaders of leading countries i.e US, UK, Canada and this year France. It is moral responsibility of these leaders to urge the Indian leadership to resolve the Kashmir dispute according to the aspirations of Kashmiri people. This will enable the region usher in a new era of development and prosperity.

The writer is a free lance journalist based in London

Hopes Still High for Afghan Settlement

Mr Tariq Rizwan

Afghanistan enjoys a tremendous geostrategic importance and is considered a bridge between the warm waters and the minerals laden Central Asia and Eurasia. Such importance proved to be disadvantageous as the country remained a battle ground among the regional and extra regional powers coupled by the wary local Pashtun traditions. Indeed, the country’s importance is intact and the instable Afghanistan is considered the only stumbling block in the way of cooperation between South, Central Asia, Eurasia and the world at large. The recent quadrilateral talks among the major stake holders i.e Pakistan, Afghanistan, US and China appears to be an understanding of what needs to be done. Yet the moves lack clarity on how to achieve peace and prosperity in war torn country.

The talks held on 11January, 2016 in Islamabad were aimed at kick starting the negotiations for a final peace settlement in Afghanistan. It emphasized the need for another round of dialogue between the Afghan government and the Taliban and sought to revive the process that collapsed last summer round, after Afghanistan announced that Mullah Mohammad Omar, founder and leader of the Taliban, had died allegedly in a Pakistani hospital more than two years ago. The move was a willful act by some elements in Kabul to derail the talks between the two sides. The announcement led the Taliban to pull out of the talks after just one meeting hosted by Islamabad.

On the eve of the talks held in Islamabad, Mr Sartaj Aziz, Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Adviser, has said that "the primary objective of the reconciliation process is to create conditions to bring the Taliban groups to the negotiation table and offer them incentives that can persuade them to move away from using violence as a tool for pursuing political goals". The move emphasized the immediate need for direct talks between representatives of the Afghanistan government and representatives from Taliban groups in a peace process that aims to preserve Afghanistan’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Quadrilateral Coordination Group - comprising representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the US is scheduled to meet again in Kabul on January 18 to continue discussions on a roadmap. Meanwhile, a former Taliban senior official said that "military confrontation is not the solution" and that a "political solution" was needed to end the war in Afghanistan. The situation has changed and the Afghan government, America and Pakistan seem to have a readiness for dialogue. America has realized that a military confrontation is not the solution.

As compared to the past, the move has the backing of military establishments of both Pakistan and Afghanistan as revealed by the frequent meetings of the two sides in the recent past. Gen Raheel Sharif and his Afghan counterpart have agreed to share terror related information. The fresh move seems to have their go ahead and likely destined to success. The recent IS suicide attack on Pakistani Consulate in Jalalabad on 13 January 2016, reflects the serious threat, posed by the group and needs a joint counter strategy. Afghanistan's Ambassador to Pakistan Janan Mosazai, while addressing a seminar in Islamabad on 13 January 2016, said that majority of militants fleeing operations in Pakistan joined the Afghan chapter of IS group and claimed that IS has become a major threat in the region.

Given the fluid situation that the Taliban have found themselves under the leadership of Mullah Mansoor still appears to be contested and it is not clear which factions will emerge victorious in the intra-Taliban struggles. They remained divided into groups as in the past. Mulla Rasool Akhund group rejects Mullan Umer’s successor Mulla Akhter Mansoor's authority. He has dismissed any talks under the mediation of the US or China or of Pakistan. His deputy Mullah Abdul Manan Niazi, has told Reuters on 11 January, "We have a very clear-cut stance about peace talks: all the foreign occupying forces would need to be withdrawn. The issue is between the Afghans, and only the Afghans can resolve it. We would not allow any third force to mediate."

Though efforts were made to overcome the trust deficit between the two sides as evident from the frequent visits of both civil and military high ups, yet Pakistan and Afghanistan need to continue such parleys to see the dream of peaceful Afghanistan and the region comes true. From a Pakistani security standpoint, military or police action against Taliban factions could also trigger a domestic militancy backlash, a factor that simply should not be discounted in order to pursue foreign policy goals. Improving border management is a better idea and the visit of Pakistan’s DGMO to Kabul shows all out sincerity on the part of Pakistan.

There are reports that Pakistan has offered some Taliban names with whom the Afghan government could potentially hold talks. There should be no delay and the quadrilateral group has to make peace achievable before the next fighting season begins. Mr Sartaj Aziz, has suggested not to put any precondition by any side as it is problematic. It would not be possible to bring the sides on negotiating table. Afghan government should not demand that action, military or otherwise, be taken against Taliban elements that it has deemed irreconcilable.

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has remained the most peaceful country due its political system based on Islamic Sharia. Hence, the Taliban’s demand of constitutional reforms in the war torn country based on Islamic Sharia is not a bad option. Moreover, Afghans have the history of zero tolerance towards foreign forces on its territory and US can seriously think over their demand of complete withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan. The regional and extra regional powers can consider these demands seriously to see lasting peace in the region in general and Afghanistan in particular.

The writer is a free lance journalist based in London