Page 7 - Pakistan Link - October 18, 2019

OPINION OCTOBER 18, 2019 – PAKISTAN LINK – P7
A Fateful Choice

n By Ashraf Jehangir Qazi admittedly within an irretrievably degraded
Pakistan political environment. It might even make
possible an eventual Modi-Imran encounter
ore than two months after Modi’s that could defuse the situation and open up
political blitzkrieg of August 5, more positive possibilities.
M2019 there is still no practical con- The alternate view, however, sees a fatal
sensus or political clarity in Pakistan on how flaw in the above arguments. It does not ad-
to deal with the totally changed situation in dress the possibility of genocide which has
IOK and India-Pakistan relations. become a probability. India knows that ‘nor-
In IOK, genocide has been transformed mal’ repression which is horrible and outra-
from possibility to probability. In fact, Geno- geous enough to warrant the attention of the
cide Watch – basing its findings on the specific International Criminal Court (ICC) cannot
definition of genocide by the Genocide Con- eliminate the Kashmiri resistance permanent-
vention of 1948 – has issued Genocide Alerts ly because it is embedded in the people, and
for Kashmir and Assam. As for India-Pakistan the LoC cannot be completely de-activated
relations, they have become totally zero-sum. unless there is peace.
The international community has to an India is also confident it can withstand
extent demonstrated its concern over the situ- the dismay and disappointment of the inter-
ation in IOK and India’s policies. But it has national community because of the assets it
no plans to press India to reverse its decision brings to the table and because of the cynicism
of August 5, 2019. Geo-politics and geo-eco- of the same international community which
nomics are considered the villains. However, Indian occupied Kashmir under lockdown is used to living with a bad
the negative image of Pakistan that has devel- conscience. In other words,
oped over the past several decades is also an that is, a comprehensively and radically trans- Kashmiris in IOK, even if they face genocide, the first view fails to prevent both genocide in
important factor. Not surprisingly, the prime formed Pakistan – no immediate and longer- as fatal for Pakistan. Accordingly, the survival Kashmir and, given the inevitable overheat-
minister has expressed disappointment over term policy continuum can be developed and of Pakistan must remain the paramount prior- ing of the LoC, war with India. It is a war that
the response of the international community implemented. More specifically, no coherent ity. some say has already begun.
despite his own considerable efforts. and successful Kashmir policy will be possi- The Kashmiris will, however, never be So, what does this latter view propose?
Where do we go from here? Dialogue ble. However, a year later Naya Pakistan is still abandoned diplomatically. In fact, Pakistan’s It proposes to avoid both genocide and war
with India is dead. Simla is dead. The LoC, more talk than walk, and promises have been “only option” is to intensify its diplomacy and through more aggressive and assertive diplo-
which derives from Simla, is moot but getting reduced to calls for patience. make it more and more insistent. This is the macy combined with seriously addressing
hotter by the day. India’s diplomacy is far more With regard to the situation in IOK, only way to expose the extent of India’s escalat- the issue of Pakistan’s very poor image which
aggressive than Pakistan’s. It keeps threatening broadly speaking, there are two views. Both ing crimes in IOK, wear down the indifference negatively impacts on the effectiveness of its
Pakistan. Pakistan keeps reassuring the world. support Pakistan doing as much as possible for of the international community and progres- Kashmir diplomacy and ‘lawfare’. This is not a
There is no country – including Pakistan the Kashmiris in IOK who are now fighting for sively build up pressure on a maverick and matter of global prejudice against Pakistan. In
– whose national and foreign policies are ex- their political, and possibly physical, existence criminal Indian government whose bellicosity addition to the international weight of India,
clusively or even primarily based on law and against the fascist might of India. The differ- and communal chauvinism threatens the sur- it is a consequence of decades of structurally
morality. They are always based on selective ence is with regard to the interpretation of “as vival of the region and the world. impeded governance in Pakistan over the past
morality and legality which allow them to be much as possible.” This is indeed a serious view. It refers to six decades and more.
set aside whenever convenient to the ‘national One view rules out war and the threat of ultimate dangers. It remains constant in sup- Apart from intensified conventional dip-
interest’ which in turn is determined by rul- war as an option, except in the event of In- port of the rights and the cause of the Kash- lomatic advocacy, the more assertive approach
ing institutions that answer to their corporate dian military aggression. It sees Pakistan as miris. It throws the onus of responsibility on envisages a set of political initiatives to devel-
interests, not always the wishes and priorities massively and comprehensively challenged India and the international community. It op greater diplomatic leverage at the interna-
of the people. by domestic and external issues. These render assumes a long-term effort. It seeks an alle- tional level. An effort to reconcile
The truth is that without Naya Pakistan – the cost of any kinetic option in support of the viation of the plight of the Kashmiris in IOK, LOCKDOWN, P28

www.PakistanLink.com