Contrasting responses to catastrophes

Asif Haroon Raja

Tens of 9/11 in USA, 12/12 in New Delhi and 26/11 in Mumbai, and 7/7 in London have taken place in Pakistan during the last five years. Devastating terrorist and suicide attacks killing scores of people and destroying property worth billions have occurred in major cities. Balochistan, FATA, NWFP, Malakand Division including Swat are engulfed in flames of terrorism while Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Peshawar have faced the maximum brunt. From October onwards, there was hardly a day when Peshawar was not struck by terrorists. These attacks have been undertaken by dissident Pakistanis duly cultivated by foreign agencies to serve their ulterior motives. Unlike the paralytic and revengeful responses of USA, India and Britain, Pakistan response to never ending catastrophes has been cool and composed. Pakistanis have and still are weathering the onslaught bravely. While the terrorists working upon foreign agenda wrought havoc on innocent people mercilessly and ceaselessly in their mad drive to scare the people, weaken the resolve of federal and provincial governments and to force them to stop military operation in South Waziristan, the people and the administrators are displaying extraordinary grit and resolve to beat the designs of anti-Pakistan elements. Knowing full well that RAW helped by other agencies stationed in Kabul are fully behind acts of terror and are working on a set piece agenda to harm Pakistan, both the government and the people have neither got frightened nor have they lost their sense of composure and balance. They have refrained from hurling wild accusations. An odd muffled protest is casually made when the pain becomes unbearable. The media has not created any hype to stir emotions of the people or raise a war cry.

In contrast to this, recall the jingoism of Bush led Administration, US media and people of America on the occasion of 9/11. While the whole country got paralyzed, Bush who had stolen presidential elections swore to teach a lesson of life to the perpetrators of unforgivable crime in which less than 3000 Americans, mostly Asians, died. A lot has been written on the vengeance wrought on the hapless people of Afghanistan for no fault of theirs.  B-52 stealth bombers, daisy cutters and cruise missiles rained bombs on the most impoverished and militarily weak country of the world and the country turned into ruins. Nine years have lapsed and tens of thousands killed and maimed for life but instead of time blunting the edge of anger, fire of retribution still burns in the hearts of policy makers in Washington with undiminished intensity. Obama has pumped in 21000 additional forces and is seriously contemplating to send in 40,000 more as requested by Gen McChrystal since the resilient Mujahideen are combating occupation troops with even greater tenacity and fervor and have gained an upper edge on 80% of Afghan territory.

Obama led Administration is sticking to the highly flawed and criticized policy of Bush despite knowing that it has been amply proven that 9/11 was a manufactured drama to fulfill the economic agenda of neo-cons and Jews. International team of scientists who studied dust samples produced by twin towers destruction in New York for 18 months, reported presence of nano-thermite in dust. Samples were collected from three sites. Access to this material is strictly controlled by US military and possibly Israel and none else. Physicist Steven Jones produced overwhelming evidence that explosives were used to bring down the buildings. No importance has been attached to these findings despite the fact that tens of thousands of New Yorkers have signed petitions that require the State to set up independent commission to probe the matter.    

Iraq was occupied under fake charges and over 1.4 million Iraqis have been killed. Paul Craig said that lies were blurted by Bush about Iraq’s WMD’s and grave threat they posed to USA. These lies were played up endlessly in print and electronic media despite UN appointed weapon inspectors in Iraq asserting no WMDs existed. US stock market boomed when US jets bombed Baghdad making the tiny rich class in USA exultant. Chilco Inquiry team in Britain probing about involvement of UK in 2003 invasion of Iraq has tightened the rope around the neck of Tony Blair, who had uttered falsehood to justify invasion of Iraq and is likely to be indicted. Bush is a bigger culprit but if the hand of law in USA doesn’t move against him, providence will not spare him for his umpteen crimes against humanity.

Coming on to India, its leaders starting from Jawahar Lal Nehru have always worked behind the smokescreen of deception, falsehood and treachery. When it comes to taking they have no patience but when it comes to giving they indulge in infinite dilly-dallying tactics to buy time. Nehru pledged to the UN to hold plebiscite in Kashmir in 1948 but then backtracked. He and his successors have been playing cat and mouse game to avoid finding a solution to the dispute which is an apple of discord. Worst is that they not only tell blatant lies and double dealing but add insult to injury by fabricating dramas and blaming others for the crimes they commit and getting away with it. They are always eager to have an oar in another’s boat and suffer from xenophobia and superiority complex. They have managed to hoodwink the world for such a long period since they sit firmly in the lap of a super power and become their loyal cronies. All their crimes were covered up by former Soviet Union and now USA is doing the same. Since Pakistan is arch enemy of India, it is subjected to never ending intrigues to keep it politically destabilized and economically impoverished. India took full advantage of its alliance with USSR to keep Kashmir dispute on the back burner, to truncate Pakistan in 1971 and to emerge as a strong military power in South Asia. It is now milking USA with both hands to become the pre-eminent power of South Asia and to attain big power status. On one hand it is drawing maximum benefits and on the other in collaboration with its chief patron, Israel and Britain, it is busy undermining Pakistan through covert operations.

India is past master in committing a murder and then wailing loudly while sitting over the dead body with a bloodied knife in its hand that it had seen Pakistan committing the crime. Any act of terror taking place in India is promptly lumped on Pakistan without even carrying out preliminary investigations. It bawls loudly to gain sympathies of the world and to portray Pakistan as the culprit. It had done so when it manufactured a terrorist attack on Indian Parliament in December 2001 and termed it as another 9/11. Media hype was created and every Indian bayed for blood of Pakistan. Biggest ever troop mobilization was carried out and its forces stood in eye ball to eye ball contact for ten months. Its subsequent in house inquiry could not find any clue to substantiate its allegations blurted out at the spur of the moment but by then the damage had been done. India never admits its fault lines and remains in denial mode as a state policy.

India has become the biggest den of terrorism where not a day passes without an act of terror. In all terrorist acts taking place from 2006 to 2008, in which 40-60% victims were Indian Muslims, the blame was put on Pakistan but it transpired later that Hindu terrorist groups which are in hundreds, duly patronized by RAW, Indian Military Intelligence and Hindu extremist officers were responsible. These included Mumbai train blast on 11 July 2006, Malegaon blasts on 8 September 2006, Samjhota train blasts on 19 February 2007, Hyderabad Mecca Masjid blast on 18 May 2007, Ajmer Sharif Dargah blast on 11 October 2007, serial blasts in Utter Pradesh courts on 23 November 2007, Jaipur blasts on 13 May 2008, Ahmedabad blast on 26 July 2008, Malegaon blasts on 8 September 2008, Delhi blasts on 13 September 2008. On 23 November, Indian leading newspapers disclosed that Liberham Commission has finally come out with its finding and has held top guns of BJP like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Advani, Manohar Joshi and others responsible for demolishing Babri mosque in Ayodhia on 6 December 1992 and killing thousands of Muslims.   

The next bout of frenzy after 12/12 was seen in the wake of 26/11. To overcome the fear psychosis of the Indians, the Indian forces once again dashed towards Pakistan’s eastern border and remained in hostile posture for months. This has now become a normal practice for the Indians. They receive full encouragement and support from US officials and media to turn their dramatics into a reality. Each and every word uttered by Indian leaders is taken as gospel truth while whatever is said by Pakistani leaders is ignored or ridiculed. Explanations made or assurances given are haughtily spurned. Till recent Indian leaders used to blubber in anguish after the incident took place but of late they have started to snivel in anticipation to a perceived terrorist attack. It looks as if they see a scary dream and going by Hindu mythology they transform the dream into a reality and share it with their well-wishers in western world to draw comfort. Encouraged by their response, they begin to flex their muscles and hurl jingoistic statements against Pakistan, viewed as the chief source of all their insecurities. In case Pakistan doesn’t take notice of offensive statements made by political leaders, Indian Army chief butts in and raises the temperature as he is doing at present.

The saddest part is that no note has been taken of the uncompromising stance taken by Indian leaders with regard to recommencement of composite dialogue that had been arrogantly put off in November last or the threat of nuclear war hurled by Gen Kapoor. Whatever allegations made against Pakistan are applicable to India but it has never been questioned what to talk of punishment. India might have been justified to adopt a hostile posture in case Pakistani leaders had behaved aggressively and delivered threatening statements. On the contrary, Pakistan has been pursuing a dovish policy from January 2004 onwards when it signed peace agreement with India and has gone an extra mile to keep India in good humor. The two pledged to resolve all outstanding disputes through dialogue and to live as peaceful neighbors. India’s intrigues, broken promises, double dealing and stabbing in the back were ignored. Pakistan maintained a defensive and apologetic stance even when India went on a rampage after 26/11. It suspended talks arrogantly and moved up its strike formations in battle locations and indulged in war mongering.

Pakistan did not lose its cool even when India stopped the flow of water of River Chenab causing huge damage to standing crops. It retained self-control even after accumulation of foolproof evidence of involvement of RAW in Balochistan, Swat and FATA. India has been raising its defence budget phenomenally and Indian army; navy, air force and air defence have been acquiring latest state-of-art weapon systems from all over the world and upgrading the nuclear capability to radically swing the military balance in its favor. Pakistan has not made any hue and cry but India on the contrary hits the roof when some items urgently required to fight terrorism are sought by Pakistan. India has made a mountain out of a mole in case of Mumbai incident which hinges on lone captive Ajmal Kasab but Pakistan having collected heaps of evidence during Rah-e-Nijat of Indian involvement has not ruffled the feathers of any in Washington or other western countries. Surprisingly, Manmohan was not questioned on this issue by the media during his visit to USA; nor did any US, British, French official air dash to New Delhi to quiz Indian civil and military leaders as they have been doing in case of Pakistan.

Simple reason for such brazen dual standards is that USA considers India, Israel and Britain as its natural allies and chips of same block while Pakistan is only a tactical partner taken on board out of sheer compulsion for the accomplishment of its objectives. Pakistan has been taken for granted and made into a sacrificial lamb to hide failures of the gang of four. While Pakistan nukes pose no threat to USA, its cat paws India and Israel feel threatened and have constantly urged USA to commence ‘operation denuclearization’. Pentagon had conducted a war game in 2000 in which it was brainstormed that whenever Indo-Pakistan war takes place and Pakistan Army is on the verge of throwing up its cards and is preparing its nukes, US Special Forces would swoop in to destroy them during the assembly of warheads and triggers or while on the move. Currently, the US is busy giving final touches to its sinister plan how to quietly extract Pakistan’s nuclear teeth after giving heavy dozes of anesthesia. In conclusion, suffice it say ‘man proposes, God disposes’. With Allah’s blessings, evil designs of our adversaries would end up in smoke. May the prince of darkness plague the wicked!

The writer is a defence and political analyst based at Rawalpindi and author of several books.Email:ah.raja@yahoo.com